Adults with ADHD tend to excel in creative originality

According to a new study at the University of Michigan (U-M), adults with Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) will likely excel in creative work-related tasks. The results show that people with ADHD are more flexible in tasks that require inventing something totally new and less likely to rely on previous examples and knowledge.

Dr. Holly White, a researcher in the Department of Psychology at UM, said that many people with ADHD were inclined to resist compliance and the usual way of doing things, which could play their part. advantage in areas that value innovative and non-traditional approaches such as marketing, product design, technology and computer engineering.

The study compared a group of students with ADHD to those who were not disturbed by creativity tasks. The task of the imagination, called the "alien fruit" invention task, was to create an example of a fictional fruit that could exist on another planet, but different from the one known on Earth.

In performing this task, non-ADHD participants often modeled their creations on specific fruits, such as an apple or a strawberry. These creations were less innovative, said White. Participants with ADHD, on the other hand, were more likely to create completely original extraterrestrial fruits that differed significantly from the typical fruits of the Earth.

The second task required participants to create labels for new products in three categories without copying the examples provided. The ADHD group created more unique and less similar labels to the examples provided, compared to the non-ADHD group.

White said the findings suggest that people with ADHD may be more flexible in tasks requiring the creation of something new and less likely to rely on previous examples and knowledge.

"As a result, the creative products of people with ADHD could be more innovative than the creations of their non-ADHD peers," she said.

People with ADHD may be less inclined to "fix their design", which is consistent with the tendency to get stuck in a rut or stick to what already exists when creating a new one. new product, said White.

"This has implications for creative design and problem solving in the real world, when the goal is to create or invent something new without being overly constrained by old models or methods of doing things. work, "she said.

ADHD, usually diagnosed during childhood, is a brain disorder characterized by a continuous pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and / or impulsivity that interferes with functioning and development.

The results appear in the Journal of Creative Behavior.

Source: University of Michigan

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