£340,000 study investigates whether people with ADHD may have unique advantages in hands-on creative environments
Date: 2 December 2025
A new research project led by London Metropolitan University Dr Wendy Ross will investigate how physically manipulating objects supports creative thinking, and whether neurodiverse individuals, particularly those with ADHD-type characteristics, may possess unique strengths in environments that encourage hands-on interaction.
The 30-month study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), addresses a critical gap in our understanding of human problem-solving. Whilst extensive research exists on internal thought processes, surprisingly little is known about what researchers call "the crucial skill that sets human intellectual accomplishments apart": manipulating the environment.
A Key Skill for Economic Growth
Creative problem-solving has been identified by the World Economic Forum as a key skill for the next decade of economic growth. Yet current approaches to enhancing creativity often overlook the role of physical interaction with our surroundings, or assume it universally helps, neither of which reflects the evidence.
"Previous research shows that interacting with physical objects can enhance some types of problem-solving, but results for creative tasks have been inconsistent," explains Dr Ross. "We believe this may be because individuals vary greatly in their propensity to interact with their environment, and those differences may be particularly pronounced in neurodiverse populations."
Rethinking ADHD in Creative Environments
The research takes a novel approach by exploring whether characteristics associated with ADHD, often viewed as challenges in traditional settings, might actually confer advantages in environments that support physical manipulation.
Studies suggest that activity levels in people with ADHD increase during cognitively demanding tasks, which may be compensatory. However, most research takes place in environments where external movements are controlled. The project will test whether environments where movement and object manipulation play a facilitative role may release the benefits of increased activity levels associated with ADHD.
Co-Produced with Lived Experience
The project employs Kinenoetic Analysis, an innovative method that captures complex interactions between internal and external states during cognitive activities. Participants will be profiled on ADHD-type characteristics, and their performance compared across different experimental conditions that vary the feasibility and types of environmental interaction.
The research is co-produced with those who have lived experience. A Student Advisory Panel of individuals who identify as having ADHD will be established at the project outset to advise on experimental design, support recruitment, and ensure appropriate framing of findings.
"This approach shifts focus away from trying to change the individual and towards designing better environments," says Dr Ross. "We want to understand when and for whom environmental manipulation enhances creative thinking, so we can develop interventions that work across neurotypical and neurodiverse populations."
Practical Applications
The project aims to develop an intervention framework to improve creative problem-solving in education and workplace settings. By understanding the conditions under which physical interaction becomes beneficial versus detrimental, the research could inform the design of learning and working environments that support creativity across cognitively diverse groups.
The team is committed to open science principles, with all protocols, data and findings to be shared openly via the Open Science Framework.
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