Exploring the Relationship between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Creativity
Location
Session 3 (Room 1308)
Session Format
Paper Presentation
Your Campus
Statesboro Campus- Henderson Library, April 20th
Academic Unit
Department of Psychology
Research Area Topic:
Humanities & Social Sciences - Psychology, Sociology & Political Science
Co-Presenters and Faculty Mentors or Advisors
Faculty Advisor: Dorthie Cross, Ph.D.
Abstract
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is an important topic to study because of its prevalence, impact, and a multitude of unknown interactions of the disorder with creativity. Creativity is a cognitive process defined by lessened cognitive control and lower inhibitions in the prefrontal cortex (Chrysikou, 2018), which are characteristics of ADHD (APA, 2017; Brunkhorst-Kanaan et al., 2021; Kirov & Brand, 2014; Laugesen et al., 2017; Moen et al., 2014; Staikova et al., 2013) This study explores how ADHD is connected with three sub-variables of creativity: divergent thinking, uniqueness of generated ideas, and flow of ideas. Connections will be explored via a survey with both subjective and objective measures. I hypothesize that those presenting as or diagnosed with ADHD will have higher divergent thinking, higher uniqueness of ideas, and lower flow of ideas. Should these proposed results be found, the implications may put people with ADHD at the forefront of creative problem-solving situations in both their occupational and academic environments.
Program Description
ADHD has far-reaching implications in the world. As does creativity. This is just a small portion of why it is important to investigate both topics and even more so in conjunction with each other. This is an honors theses project that conducted exploratory research on ADHD and Creativity. In this study, creativity is operationalized as idea generation, and three sub-variables of that: Degree of Spread of Ideas, Uniqueness of Ideas, and Flow of Ideas.
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 2:15 PM
End Date
4-20-2022 3:15 PM
Recommended Citation
Hall, Anna Shea and Hall, Anna Shea, "Exploring the Relationship between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Creativity" (2022). GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium. 71.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2022/2022/71
Exploring the Relationship between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Creativity
Session 3 (Room 1308)
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is an important topic to study because of its prevalence, impact, and a multitude of unknown interactions of the disorder with creativity. Creativity is a cognitive process defined by lessened cognitive control and lower inhibitions in the prefrontal cortex (Chrysikou, 2018), which are characteristics of ADHD (APA, 2017; Brunkhorst-Kanaan et al., 2021; Kirov & Brand, 2014; Laugesen et al., 2017; Moen et al., 2014; Staikova et al., 2013) This study explores how ADHD is connected with three sub-variables of creativity: divergent thinking, uniqueness of generated ideas, and flow of ideas. Connections will be explored via a survey with both subjective and objective measures. I hypothesize that those presenting as or diagnosed with ADHD will have higher divergent thinking, higher uniqueness of ideas, and lower flow of ideas. Should these proposed results be found, the implications may put people with ADHD at the forefront of creative problem-solving situations in both their occupational and academic environments.
