A cup of coffee on a table, held by a person

Have a client who is being difficult? Are negotiations stalled? Have a cup of coffee, according to the results of one scientific study.

Researchers report in the scientific journal Consciousness and Cognition that the caffeine equivalent of one cup of coffee can improve problem-solving abilities.

Previous research has linked caffeine to the ability to temporarily improve focus, vigilance, and motor performance and to work together more effectively.

“We found that participants who consumed approximately one 12-ounce cup of coffee showed significantly enhanced problem-solving abilities,” the researchers wrote in the study. “The effects remained after controlling for participants’ caffeine expectancies, whether they believed they consumed caffeine or a placebo, or for changes in mood.”

But a cup of coffee won’t make you more creative, Inc.com reports on the study’s findings. Instead, it serves as more of a sudden jolt in the process of solving a problem—more of an “aha!” moment.

Read more from the study.
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