Creative Distraction

An inability to pay attention may be critical to creative problem-solving, reports Jonah Lehrer in the Wall Street Journal (2/19/11). This insight is backed by a pair of research studies, including one from the universities of Memphis and Michigan, in which "scientists measured the success of 60 undergraduates in various fields." The study found that "students who had been diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder achieved more: Their inability to focus turned out to be a creative advantage."

Another study involved "86 Harvard undergraduates," tested the students’ ability "to ignore irrelevant stimuli, such as the air-conditioner humming in the background." Students "who had a tougher time ignoring unrelated noise were seven times more likely to be rated as ‘eminent creative achievers’ based on their previous accomplishments." The scientists suppose that "the inability to focus helps ensure a richer mixture of thoughts in consciousness."

The distractability factor may also cause people "to consider information that might seem irrelevant but will later inspire the breakthrough." None of this means that attention-deficit disorder isn’t a serious problem — the Harvard study also found that students with higher IQs tend to benefit the most for their distractability. So, "distraction might be a cognitive luxury that not everyone can afford." But for some, "too much focus can backfire," and "the most productive thing we can do is surf the web and eavesdrop on that conversation next door."