ADHD in creative problem-solving and insight: when more is better than some
Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects over 2.5% of adults globally. Though often depicted through its deficits, recent research suggests potential benefits to ADHD, especially in creative realms. Nevertheless, research on this association is sparse, with existing studies focusing on divergent thinking. As for ADHD and convergent thinking, underlying solving strategies, namely, insight versus analysis, have not previously been examined. We used the Compound Remote Associates (CRA) task to determine whether ADHD and non-ADHD individuals, specifically, those who scored in the top and bottom quartiles of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) solve problems with different strategies. ADHD individuals solved more CRA problems with insight than analysis. Furthermore, post- hoc testing showed that participants in the middle quartiles of the ASRS distribution solved significantly fewer CRAs (by either strategy) than participants in the top and bottom ASRS quartiles. These results indicate that not only is ADHD associated with insight solving, but that high and low levels of ADHD are associated with higher overall solving rates compared to medium levels of ADHD symptomatology suggesting that individuals with average levels of ADHD symptomatology are less proficient at the insight and analytic solving strategies than individuals in the tails of the ASRS distribution.
DOI: 10.17918/00010888
Authors: Hannah Rose Maisano, John Kounios
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4409090120