ADHD is often thought about in terms of negative stereotypes associated with the condition. People with the diagnosis are believed to be impulsive and have trouble concentrating, even if there’s no real evidence that shows that’s true for that specific person.
A new study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, proved that one thing people with ADHD have long been told was not one of their strengths actually is. Hopefully this evidence will help dispel some of the myths and stigma people still attach to the common condition.
The research showed that people with ADHD have great creative problem-solving skills.
According to a report on the study from Earth.com, Drexel University researchers wanted to test the hypothesis that “people with strong ADHD symptoms often appear unusually inventive.” To do this, they had a group of 299 students complete what’s known as the Compound Remote Associates test.
For this test, participants are shown three words that initially appear unrelated, and then asked to choose a fourth word that connects them all. An example would be the words “crab,” “pine,” and “sauce” all being linked by “apple.”
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Whenever the participants were successful, researchers asked them to explain how they came up with the correct word. Some went through a more analytical process of thinking through options until they found the right fit, while others had more of an “aha moment” where it felt like the answer just came to them.
Overall, the participants who had strong ADHD symptoms usually used the more creative method of answers that just came to them. For those with weaker symptoms, some used the same insightful strategy, while others thought things through more deeply.
This study is the first to definitively determine that people diagnosed with ADHD have strong creative skills.
Previous research has implied that this is probably the case, but the tasks participants were asked to complete in those studies had multiple possible answers, so the results weren’t quite as conclusive.
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Researchers think the reason for this increased creativity comes from the way someone’s attention filter functions. Neurotypical people have a stronger filter that keeps them focused on what’s important and tunes out distractions. People with ADHD have a weaker filter, which can be a disadvantage at times, but helps in creative situations because related thoughts appear more readily.
John Kounios, PhD, a cognitive neuroscientist who served as a senior author for the study, believed their findings could help those diagnosed with ADHD learn how to use their unique abilities more effectively. He explained, “Understanding these strengths could help people harness their natural problem-solving style in school, work, and everyday life.”
This is helpful information because understanding how you best solve problems can make life easier.
A 2008 study published in Learning and Individual Differences confirmed Kounios’ thoughts. Those researchers found proof that people who knew their personal problem-solving style were able to work more “effectively” with “enhanced” results.
It makes sense that a better understanding of how your own mind works would make everything a bit simpler. That means that instead of thinking about the best way to do something, you already know how you should approach a task, and you can get it done with a little less effort.
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It would be inaccurate to say that the idea that people with ADHD are extra creative is new, though. A mind that’s a little less focused is bound to be more creative, even if that doesn’t lend itself well to every situation.
In any case, people with ADHD can take comfort in knowing that they aren’t actually bad at problem-solving, even if someone has told them they are in the past. They just have their own unique method that works best for them, which could really be said of anyone who has ever tried to solve a problem in human history.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
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