Does Anxiety Moderate the Relationship between ADHD Inattention Symptoms and Cognitive Flow States?
Location
Session 2 (Room 1308)
Session Format
Oral Presentation
Your Campus
Statesboro Campus- Henderson Library, April 20th
Academic Unit
Department of Psychology
Research Area Topic:
Public Health & Well Being - Mental Health
Co-Presenters and Faculty Mentors or Advisors
Faculty Advisor: Dorthie Cross, Ph.D.
Abstract
The purpose of the current study is to explore the relationships among self-reported symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and an aspect of creativity, specifically cognitive flow states. Although some studies have found a positive correlation between ADHD symptoms and self-reported flow, other studies do not find such a relationship (Ashinoff & Abu-Akel, 2019; Boot et al., 2017). It is possible that some of the inconsistencies across studies might be explained by level of anxiety symptoms. ADHD is commonly comorbid with anxiety, and anxiety itself has been found to be negatively correlated with flow states (D'Agati et al., 2019; Kirchner et al., 2008). We hypothesized (1) self-reported inattention symptoms would negatively correlate with self-reported flow states and (2) self-reported anxiety symptoms would moderate that relationship, specifically in that the negative correlation between inattention and flow would be most pronounced at high levels of anxiety and less pronounced or absent at low levels of anxiety.
We found evidence that supported our hypothesis that inattention symptoms negatively correlate with self-reported flow states, but we did not find evidence that supported our hypothesis that anxiety symptoms would moderate that relationship in the way we hypothesized. The implications of this may include that people with high levels of symptoms of both ADHD and anxiety may be more likely than those with ADHD symptoms alone to experience flow states, which may make them comparable to neurotypical-presenting persons in high-pressure situations. Anxiety could be a kind of buffer or adaptive compensation for symptoms of inattention. These findings are correlational, however, and further research must be conducted to establish the direction of the relationship.
Program Description
Have you ever been so engrossed in a task that you lost hours out of your day? That's what a cognitive flow state is. Flow can be affected by a lot of factors - so I narrowed it down to ADHD and anxiety. Come learn how these factors affect your flow!
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Presentation Type and Release Option
Presentation (File Not Available for Download)
Start Date
4-20-2022 1:00 PM
End Date
4-20-2022 2:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Hall, Anna Shea and Hall, Anna Shea, "Does Anxiety Moderate the Relationship between ADHD Inattention Symptoms and Cognitive Flow States?" (2022). GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium. 70.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2022/2022/70
Does Anxiety Moderate the Relationship between ADHD Inattention Symptoms and Cognitive Flow States?
Session 2 (Room 1308)
The purpose of the current study is to explore the relationships among self-reported symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and an aspect of creativity, specifically cognitive flow states. Although some studies have found a positive correlation between ADHD symptoms and self-reported flow, other studies do not find such a relationship (Ashinoff & Abu-Akel, 2019; Boot et al., 2017). It is possible that some of the inconsistencies across studies might be explained by level of anxiety symptoms. ADHD is commonly comorbid with anxiety, and anxiety itself has been found to be negatively correlated with flow states (D'Agati et al., 2019; Kirchner et al., 2008). We hypothesized (1) self-reported inattention symptoms would negatively correlate with self-reported flow states and (2) self-reported anxiety symptoms would moderate that relationship, specifically in that the negative correlation between inattention and flow would be most pronounced at high levels of anxiety and less pronounced or absent at low levels of anxiety.
We found evidence that supported our hypothesis that inattention symptoms negatively correlate with self-reported flow states, but we did not find evidence that supported our hypothesis that anxiety symptoms would moderate that relationship in the way we hypothesized. The implications of this may include that people with high levels of symptoms of both ADHD and anxiety may be more likely than those with ADHD symptoms alone to experience flow states, which may make them comparable to neurotypical-presenting persons in high-pressure situations. Anxiety could be a kind of buffer or adaptive compensation for symptoms of inattention. These findings are correlational, however, and further research must be conducted to establish the direction of the relationship.
