ADHD may boost creative breakthroughs through intuition, study finds

A Drexel University study of 299 undergraduates found that participants with stronger ADHD symptoms solved creative word-puzzle problems (Compound Remote Associates) more via insight and unconscious associations rather than step-by-step reasoning; when mapped across symptom levels, high and low ADHD groups outperformed mid-range participants, revealing a U-shaped curve where creative problem-solving can come from either intuitive or analytical routes.