A study reported by multiple outlets says that employees who are most impressed by corporate “waffle” (high-level, non-specific business jargon) tend to perform worse on measures of analytical thinking and problem solving. The research suggests a negative association between a person’s responsiveness to vague workplace language and their ability to handle tasks that require more structured reasoning. According to the reports, participants who showed greater interest in jargon scored lower on tests designed to assess analytical skills and problem-solving performance. The articles describe the findings as coming from researchers who examined how attitudes toward corporate wording relate to cognitive performance, using standardized assessments rather than workplace evaluations. The outlets also frame the jargon as “waffle,” implying communication that may obscure meaning instead of conveying clear information. Overall, the coverage presents the study as evidence that attention to or preference for jargon correlates with weaker performance on analytical measures, while not attributing the result to a specific cause or mechanism.