Pers Individ Dif 2006; 40: 1121-1131. First, we sought to better understand how ADHD characteristics and executive functioning difficulties, divergent thinking, and engineering GPA relate to one another. Although the current study fills important gaps in our understanding of how ADHD characteristics and executive functioning difficulties, divergent thinking, and academic performance relate to one another, there are several limitations that can be addressed in future research. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. She has previously written for The New York Sun and ABC News. The results of our conceptual replication of Taylor et al. Taylor et al. Creativity tends to be part of the essence of ADHD and should be encouraged and nurtured. David Neeleman, Founder of Fortune 500 company, JetBlue Airways struggled in school. Taken together, these results demonstrate two things: First, the relationship between components of divergent thinking on the TTCT-Verbal and inattentive characteristics related to ADHD is broadly similar using either the B-DEFS or the ASRS. Boot et al. residual = 3.24 and 3.36), originality (for which one outlying case was removed: std. An official website of the United States government. The role of creative thinking in resilience after Hurricane Katrina. In the second session, participants used a tablet to complete the B-DEFS and ASRS (along with items from several other scales for use in a different study) on Qualtrics, with all scale items presented in a random order. High quality Divergent Thinking-inspired gifts and merchandise. However, the results depended on the type of participant and the type of task. For instance, Adderall was observed to benefit a handful of participants. For example, research shows that autism 8 and ADHD 9 are often hereditary. residual = 3.05 and 3.31), titles, and resistance to closure were not statistically significant for B-DEFS components (step 1) or after adding verbal and non-verbal IQ (step 2). It is a thought process of coming up with varied creative ideas to overcome a problem and generate a solution.". Divergent. Divergent thinking is a style of thinking that generates a range of alternative solutions or ideas to a problem that has multiple answers. The present study compared adults with and without ADHD on convergent thinking, divergent thinking, and inhibitory control tasks. A previous meta-analysis that investigated psychopathology and creativity showed a possible negative association between ADHD and creativity (Paek et al, 2016). The new PMC design is here! ADHD and achievement: meta-analysis of the child. These characteristics and executive functioning difficulties correspond with poorer academic outcomes for college students, even in cases where students do not meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD (Biederman et al., 2006; Petersen et al., 2006; Norwalk et al., 2009; Munro et al., 2017). (2017) found that college students self-reported experience of characteristics of ADHD positively predicted originality on a problem construction task, which asked participants to redefine an everyday problem at different levels of usefulness and originality. He had an extremely high IQ, an incredible amount of support, and the appropriate accommodation in school.. Academic adjustment (e.g., the ability to cope with the challenges of college life) and study habits and skills (e.g., completing assigned class readings) have also been negatively predicted by self-reported characteristics of ADHD in a general student population (Norwalk et al., 2009). (2020b), we expect that: In addition, we expand on this research by examining the role of IQ in the relationship between modalities of divergent thinking (figural and verbal) and the components of ADHD assessed by one measure focused explicitly on executive functioning difficulties associated with ADHD (B-DEFS) and one measure that aligns with DSM and WHO diagnostic criteria (ASRS). In part because ADHDs hallmark characteristics include a lack of constraint, intellectually as well as behaviorally, studies have consistently found that people with ADHD often excel at divergent thinking but struggle with convergent thinking. The Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, Second Edition (KBIT-2) (Kaufman and Kaufman, 2004) assesses verbal and non-verbal IQ across three brief subtests: verbal knowledge, matrices, and riddles. Most of the debated approaches are unsupervised machine learning approaches and researchers. Her ADHD subjects markedly gravitated toward the Ideator and Developer styles; her non-ADHD subjects toward the Clarifier role. This questionnairewhich, like the CAQ, depends on self-reporting by the subjects its administered tois designed to explore preference for each phase of creative problem solving. The measure conceptualizes creative problem solving in four phases: clarificationlets look at this problem, as White puts it; brainstorming; developing and refining of ideas; and implementing the arrived-at solutions. If these scales are measuring the same underlying phenomenon, results for both scales should be broadly similar. The relationship between college students executive functioning and study strategies. Controlling for other variables, behaviors reflecting strong executive functioning, non-verbal IQ, and figural divergent thinking were positively associated with GPA. (2020) found that the severity of ADHD (diagnosed using the DSM-5 semi-structured clinical interview) was strongly and positively associated with self-report ratings of executive functioning difficulties on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (Roth et al., 2005). Characteristics of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and executive functioning difficulties have been found to correspond with poorer academic outcomes on the one hand and enhanced divergent thinking on the other hand. * Studies were separated into clinical case-studies or population-based ADHD trait studies and were further separated by childhood (aged <18 years) and adult studies (aged >18 years) due to the developmental perspective of ADHD and creativity (Cassotti et al, 2016; Franke et al, 2018; Healey, 2014). A., Weyandt L. L., Marraccini M. E., Oster D. R. (2017). I can look out on an industry with all kinds of problems and say, How can I do this better? My ADHD brain naturally searches for better ways of doing things.. Undergraduate engineering students (N = 199) at a public university in the northeastern United States completed self-report measures of ADHD characteristics and daily executive functioning, as well as divergent thinking (figural and verbal) and intelligence quotient (IQ) tests. An individual with ADHD may struggle within the confines of a convergent environment and the education system may become a barrier to achievement. Divergent thinkers are the innovators, the people who are not afraid to, as Steve Jobs put it, "think . The results of a series of multiple regression models showed that (1) executive functioning difficulties negatively, and non-verbal IQ and figural divergent thinking positively, predicted engineering grade point average (GPA; obtained from the university registrars office), (2) GPA and verbal IQ positively predicted figural divergent thinking scores, and (3) verbal IQ positively predicted verbal divergent thinking scores. Dpfner M. J Atten Disord 2020; Epub ahead of print, Dobrosavljevic M et al. Divergent thinking and academic performance of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder characteristics in engineering. Expanding the boundaries is a . Watch popular content from the following creators: Maze Life(@mazecore), Elita Reign - Life Coach(@elitareign), Anna Marie(@annamarie1224), The FERG(@fergonius), Audrey(@austinallygleeclubmashup) . | Certainly DT does not guarantee actual creative achievement, but tests of DT are reliable and reasonably valid predictors of certain performance criteria. In brief, the authors suggested that a focused research agenda would improve understanding of the link between ADHD and creativity. Most literature about neurodiverse children tells parents how to help their kids thrive. will also be available for a limited time. residual = 3.30 and 3.30) were not statistically significant for ASRS components alone (step 1) but were significant after adding verbal and non-verbal IQ (step 2). On the topic of divergent thinking he states: Divergent thinking isnt the same thing as creativity. Samson G. E., Graue M. E., Weinstein T., Herbert J. Divergent and convergent thinking, and the standardized tests that measure them, are well-suited to a laboratory setting; how well they translate to the real world is another matter. 14 Neurodivergent Parenting Tips for ADHD Families. It is the type of thinking we do . . Dupaul G. J., Weyandt L. L., ODell S. M., Varejao M. (2009). Creative style and achievement in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In the current study, responses on both modalities of the TTCT (both Form A), scored by three trained and certified raters at Scholastic Testing Services (STS), demonstrated strong inter-rater reliability, according to Cronbachs : TTCT-Verbal (fluency = 1.00, originality = 1.00, flexibility = 0.98) and TTCT-Figural (fluency = 0.99, originality = 0.99, elaboration = 0.98, resistance to premature closure = 1.00, and titles = 0.99). (1984). Hierarchical regression models of ASRS and IQ as predictors of TTCT-Figural components. Casey Schwartz is a graduate of Brown University and has a master's in psychodynamic neuroscience from University College London. Responses on the TTCT-Verbal were rated on three dimensions: fluency (total number of responses), originality (infrequency of responses), and flexibility (variability in categories of responses). In the fourth session, participants completed the TTCT-Verbal test. FOIA This procedure is unorganized and yields unexpected connections. DIVERGENT THINKING: "Divergent thinking is a form of creative thinking." Related Psychology Terms. The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (i.e., DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) suggests that at least five characteristics from either or both dimensions must have been present in multiple settings for at least 6 months, be inconsistent with the persons developmental level, and negatively impact their occupational, social, and/or educational functioning. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Examples of Divergent and Convergent Thinking. The (2017). A Definition of Divergent Thinking. The second study found a positive association between hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms with enhanced divergent thinking. While it likely feels unnatural to focus on your strengths, it can be the key to living with more ease. However, ADHD characteristics and executive functioning difficulties are associated with poorer academic outcomes even for those without ADHD (Biederman et al., 2006). Sometimes love, patience, and acceptance are needed to soothe the other.". Students with ADHD have poorer academic outcomes in general than students without ADHD (Frazier et al., 2007; Dupaul et al., 2009; Dipeolu, 2011). Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119: 66-85. Divergent thinking involves the ability to find many different and new responses or solutions to open-ended problems. Creat Res J 2016; 28: 275-282. Additionally, several of the characteristics must have been present before the age of 12. There was divergent thinking happening - each person was coming up with an "out of the box" idea. One of the tasks the subjects completed is called the Creative Achievement Questionnaire, originally developed by Shelley Carson at Harvard. Give yourself permission to explore your strengths without shame. At age six, he had to see how fire worked and accidentally burned his fathers barn to the ground. Stavro G. M., Ettenhofer M. L., Nigg J. T. (2007). All coefficients in bold are significant at p < 0.05. Instead of calling yourself careless with details, consider how your focus on big ideas has led to creative solutions. Shift your narrative from weakness to strength. Interestingly, White said she also noticed a distinctive pattern, one not included in the study: ADHD subjects were more likely to excel at certain creative domains than at others. The tasks were based on a stimulus set of 20 meaningful four-character words. White HA, Shah P. Scope of semantic activation and innovative thinking in college students with ADHD.