What Q is one of the nation’s favourite pastimes? Nope, it’s not quidditch. It’s quizzes. We love racking our brains for that obscure bit of knowledge that we’re sure we once heard somewhere. Whether we are in the pub with our mates or at home shouting at the television, the feeling of getting an answer right is addictive. But why do we find quizzes so compelling?
A buzz from the buzzer
The very nature of a quiz lures us in. As veteran question writer David Bodycombe observes: “If a question is posed, you can’t help but wonder what the answer is.”
When we get the answer correct, various factors make us want to go back for more. Michelle Tolfrey, a clinical psychologist and member of the Welldoing.org community of therapists, explains: “Physiologically, when we win something, we experience a nice hit of dopamine, which can be quite a euphoric and ‘buzzy’ feeling to have. As a result, we may want to replicate this again and again to get the same sensation.”
Tolfrey also points out the psychological rewards involved in quizzes. “They can be particularly enjoyable if we are doing them in the context of socialising with peers, where it can help us to feel connected with others and part of something special.
“And there are, of course, lots of other social rewards involved with quizzes, such as receiving praise from others or being given a certain title, prize or accolade that boosts our self esteem.”
Fellow clinical psychologist and Welldoing.org therapist Patapia Tzotzoli agrees that quizzes can meet basic human needs. “People are creatures of emotion and are motivated by pride and vanity,” she says. “Quizzes offer a platform where our knowledge is being assessed by our ability to retrieve information quickly while others are watching. Doing so offers us quick gratification and a sense of achievement that nourishes our self-esteem and gains us immediate recognition.
“In other words, quizzes offer a setting with the right conditions to feed our need to be important and appreciated for it.”
But if quizzes are so rewarding, why do our brains seem to crack under the pressure of needing to come up with the right answer – and quickly?
“Sometimes anxiety kicks in and interferes with our memory – and consequently our performance,” states Tzotzoli. “The more anxious we become, the harder it is to remember the information we are after and we experience what we commonly describe as our ‘mind going blank’.”
Not quite the answer
Times when a contestant’s mind goes awry make for comedy gold on quiz programmes. On the iconic 80s and 90s show Blockbusters, for instance, participants still had “mind going blank” moments despite being given the first letter of the answer. When asked by legendary host Bob Holness “What D, rhyming with a synonym for defraud, means to decrease in number or grow smaller in size?”, quizzer Susie somehow managed to come up with shrink (correct answer: dwindle, rhymes with swindle).
At other times, contestants stuck to the right letter, but under the pressure of studio lights, got the wrong word. After answering “What O is the generic word for any living animal or plant, including bacteria or viruses?”, a young man cringed when he realised that he’d replied orgasm not organism. Contestant Pauline looked even more mortified when the penny dropped that the response to “What K is a Chinese ceremony of abasement?” was kowtow – not Kama Sutra.
As in the original, the new series features student contestants
More such moments follow on the new series of Blockbusters that’s about to hit our screens on Comedy Central. Host Dara Ó Briain is met with laughable responses to questions including “What Q is a type of pen that is made from a bird’s feather” and “What N are potatoes when they first come into season?” No, the answers are not quail and nugget.
As in the original, this latest incarnation features student contestants, although a celebrity special with Strictly Come Dancing’s Stacey Dooley and Oti Mabuse against comedian Josh Widdecombe starts the series off.
For us armchair quizzers joining in from our sofas, the Blockbusters style of question has major appeal. As Bodycombe puts it: “It’s a clever format because there’s a clue inherently built into the question, which automatically makes you think you might have a chance of getting it right.”
Bodycombe is spot-on. No matter how smart, we all need a little help. Just try to distinguish between organism and orgasm.
What B has a brand new series?
The new series of Blockbusters – hosted by Dara Ó Briain – hits our screens at 8pm on Thursday 26 September on Comedy Central.
