Adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder may have trouble balancing their checkbook, but are more creative, U.S. researchers say.
Holly White of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Priti Shah of the University of Michigan gave 60 college students — half of them with ADHD — a series of tests measuring creativity across 10 domains.
The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, found those in the ADHD group scored higher across the board.
They also showed more of a preference for brainstorming and generating ideas than the non-ADHD group, which preferred refining and clarifying ideas, the researchers said.
“For the same reason that ADHD might create problems, like distraction, it can also allow an openness to new ideas,” White said in a statement. “Not being completely focused on a task lets the mind make associations that might not have happened otherwise.”
The study is a follow-up of one in 2006, which focused on laboratory measures of creativity and found that ADHD individuals show better performance on tests of creative divergent thinking, White said.
“We didn’t know if that would translate into real-life achievement,” Shah said. “The current study suggests that it does.”
7 Comments on “Study: Adults with ADHD are more creative”
Thanks for the post Mitri. This appears to coincide with the concept of quantum thinking, of holding more ideas simultaneously, often in juxtaposition, so that we have more possibilities to choose from. Albeit, I would think that meditation would allow one to filter out the static to be able to actually choose.
Are we evolving away from linear thought?
I lik the idea that the people being born with adha aspergers etc. are not a seen as problem but part of a potential solutions. in our current times we are asking ourselves to be better and better at holding possibilities as in multi tasking (which many studies show we don’t really do) Life supports life.
If this is true then what does it say about the prescribed medications? school environments? I was actually thinking about this tonight. I wasn’t pleased with how my son is being limited in school so I played around with the idea of home schooling. Then I pulled off that tangent because of how I valued the relationships in school. Which lead me to believe that the best way to address potential shortfalls at school is to ask questions about what he learned (which may teach me as well; through a new perspective) and then I can supplement it with my knowledge. All the while spending valuable time together.
Maybe its time to instill and point out the positive effect of some ADHD into the world so its better accepted!
This also coincides with the theory that there are no “disabilities” just general misunderstandings. For example there is a lot to be learned from someone with down syndrome. One of my previous jobs was working for a company that cared for individuals who could not take care of themselves. I was fortunate to witness some extremely happy people (and some not so happy =). For me I got a new perspective on happiness and how social interactions can influence mood very easily. However for some individuals they just didn’t seem to be distracted by what was going on and stayed in there happy place. Now I think in order to survive there needs to be a balance, and that is going to vary among every single person as more influences (genetics, enviornment, etc) are taken into consideration.
Thanks Mitri!!!
I have to say that not only an adult with ADHD is very creative but also children. I have the blessing of having 1 of those beings at home and you have no idea what they are able to create and how deep and sensitive they are. My 6 years old boy just loves Quantum Physics , Goswami and watched Whats the bleep around 7 times. And by the way, I keep my ADHD child down to earth with homeopathy. He is an unique child and very popular at kindergarten. Everyday with a happy ADHD person is a rich experience and suddenly is life not boring anymore …
The AD/HD science was faked in order to sell more drugs. Watch the documentary “Generation RX” which details the research and names the conspirators. Having said that, it now seems an even greater crime to medicate those who posses such a high level of creativity and how very sad.
it does appear to be true that big pharma often creates a dis ease in order to make money, this is grievous at best. However we are all entangled thus all culpable in our own desire for ease, (take a pill culture) social acceptable conformity etc.
Whenever we don’t support each other being true to our own selves we all diminish our expereince and potential. As we take control of our creations may we not fall into fighting for our limitations.
we are all just kids play acting we are grown up
well, you may be right about the pharma industries wanting to make money with diseases but ADHD is not a fake. It is there! But i guess it is being treated in a wrong way. I found out that a little blue candy has a devastating effect on my child’s behaviour.
Additives, food colouring, gluten, lactose and eggs are a real problem for an ADHD.