As we all know, trivia quizzes are the types of games in which the players, who play either individually or in a team, are asked questions on many topics – many little-known facts – and their task is to provide the correct answers. Of course, this requires possessing vast knowledge; availability of information that can range from geography to cryptocurrencies, from literature to marine life, or even from quantum mechanics to birthdays of celebrities. These quizzes are irresistible opportunities to put our intellectual skills to the test and give ourselves an ego-boost.
These quizzes offer many benefits for the players – they keep us smart and engaged, and below, we will explain some of those advantages in a little more detail. If you feel like putting your trivia knowledge to the test right away, you can try Bible Quiz Pro.
1. It improves our mental health
Needless to say that our brain behaves like a muscle; the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. And keeping your brain in good shape is especially important as it ages. Cognition is a mental process of acquiring and understanding knowledge, and memory is one of its essential processes. Once you learn a fresh piece of information, you want to retain it in your long-term memory. Most of this information is something you don’t use very often and trying to reach it whenever asked a trivia question is a great exercise for your brain.
In recent research, scientists have looked at the connections between brain cells using a special kind of magnetic resonance imaging – diffusion tensor imaging – and it was seen that in the individuals who had retained more general knowledge, and were able to recall it, these brain connections were much more efficient. To scientists, it makes sense to believe that since these bits of random information are stored in different areas in the brain, trying to answer trivial questions which actually consist of multiple unrelated topics – will activate and connect these areas, thus reinforcing these connections and enabling information to travel more quickly and efficiently.
Unfortunately, from this particular study, it is not clear whether these people are simply born with more efficient brain architecture which intrinsically enables them to be good at trivia, or they have generated these high-quality connections throughout their lives with practice – by constantly reaching for this otherwise useless data. However, this speaks about their so-called “fluid intelligence” which is very useful in problem-solving in new situations.
2. It trains us to think under pressure
Often, in trivia quizzes, the time that we have to come up with an answer is limited. This gives an additional challenge to the quiz, making it even more nerve-wracking. Most of the time, the expectations are very high, so that puts additional strain on us to give the correct answer. This, just as any other kind of competition, it helps us learn how to deal with anxiety and perform well under pressure. Also, it provides us with opportunities to work on reducing the nervousness in such situations, as well as let out some competitiveness. It always feels nice to kick the opponents’ rear, and this is no exception.
3. Helps build teamwork
Many of these trivia competitions are played in teams. That means that each individual has their own responsibility to contribute to the group efforts and make the other teammates proud. This helps practice and develop accountability and collaboration, as well as learning to deal with disappointment and strengthening the team spirit, which can later be reflected in other life situations.
4. Make you a more interesting conversationalist
There are many people that will appreciate your knowledge of various topics. Even though some people feel an aversion towards a know-it-all, or a smarty-pants, being able to fit into a conversation and share some excellent information will get you most people’s respect. Just try not to go overboard with your enthusiasm when talking about little-known facts about the universe.
5. It is a source of pleasure
By answering a question correctly, a release of dopamine in the brain is triggered, which gives that person a sense of pleasure. It is a stimulus that activates the structures in the central nervous system associated with reward, giving us a rush of excitement, and thus making answering trivia questions a very pleasant experience. Even though these kinds of behaviour can be pretty addictive, who doesn’t want to be a little bit addicted to trivia quizzes?
6. Opportunities for socialization
Team trivia is an inherently social activity which can lead to making new friends. Since very few things can help strengthen current friendships as winning or losing, they will also benefit from it. You will get to know your teammates better as they uncover hidden interests or talents while answering all sorts of questions. Also, being in a relaxed setting and surrounded by people who are in a good mood, will reduce your stress and make you feel better.
7. Helps us focus
With trivia, you get to focus your attention on a particular question and search your mind for a possible solution. Scientists argue that the ability to deeply focus on one task at a time is a trait that is getting lost in this easily distracted world. We are being wired to crave constant stimulation, and this decreases our attention span. Also, being able to forget about the usual everyday burdens even for very few seconds and dive into the problem at hand, is a true blessing which will help us relax and sharpen our mind.
8. Offers new knowledge
It is rather given that you won’t know every piece of information in the world, so if you get an answer wrong or only guess it and still manage to get it right, you will be put in a position to learn something new. Aside from confirming the knowledge you already have, by participating in such games, you will be able to absorb new trivia information with every quiz you take, as well as retain it in the long run.
