What makes puzzles fun – Quiz

1.  Read the text and answer the questions. 

1. What can happen when people do anagrams?
A study suggests that it stimulates the reward center in the brain.

2. What two things does David Shariatmadari say solving good puzzles requires?
He says that solving good puzzles requires both luck and skill.

3. Why does Michael Vilensky say that puzzles can be satisfying?
He says that puzzles can be satisfying because they offer us a situation that can be controlled and resolved.

4. How can puzzles be social?
Because results can be shared on social media and people can work together to complete them.

5. What did psychologists at Drexel University find that made completing puzzles easier?
They found that watching a funny video first helped people complete puzzles.

2.  Choose the appropriate words or phrases to complete the following sentences.

1. A puzzle where you have to rearrange the letters is called an anagram .

2. A clue helps you find the answer.

3. A tricky puzzle is brain-teasing .

4. It feels satisfying to come up with the answer.

5. If a puzzle depends on your ability, it requires skill . 

What makes puzzles fun 

Throughout history, people have been attracted to puzzles, from Ancient Greek riddles to brain-teasing video games, people have tried to solve problems for fun. But what is it about these conundrums that makes us enjoy them?

It could be that the desire to find a solution is wired into us. A study has shown that when people complete anagrams, it can stimulate the reward centre in the brain. One of the researchers behind the study, Yongtaek Oh, suggests that problem-solving ability provides an evolutionary advantage – it can help us survive! It’s clear that this ‘aha’ moment is very enjoyable, but it’s not just completing a puzzle that people enjoy.

David Shariatmadari highlights that solving the best puzzles requires a combination of luck and skill. He points out that the element of chance makes it more open to a wide range of people, while the need for skill gives players a feeling that they are in control. This also helps to provide a balance between being something challenging and something achievable. Michael Vilensky, a psychologist at Ohio State University, tells us that puzzles offer us a situation that we can control and resolve, which can be satisfying when compared with other life challenges. Other experts, such as therapist Elizabeth Hinkel, argue that by requiring concentration, puzzles can provide mindful moments away from the stresses of everyday life. Puzzles can also have a social aspect, whether that’s making it easy to share your scorecard on social media, or the fact that people are keen to help each other find clues and come up with the answer.

Puzzles and fun may even be dependent on each other, researchers at Drexel University have suggested. When looking at brain images, they found that some people preparing to do a puzzle showed activity associated with positive moods and that these people were better able to come up with solutions. They also found that subjects performed better on puzzles if they had seen a funny video beforehand.