Stimming and fidgeting increase under high cognitive load and sustained task effort, rather than appearing only during low engagement¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoretical r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2024 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Fidgeting increases with sustained effort on a task and when reading boring texts, which the authors treat as evidence against the assumption that stimming competes for cognitive resources. → Sofia Tancredi 2024

Evidence¶

Sofia Tancredi 2024¶

Sofia Tancredi, Dor Abrahamson. (2024). Stimming as Thinking: a Critical Reevaluation of Self-Stimulatory Behavior as an Epistemic Resource for Inclusive Education. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09904-y

q2 · i? · theoretical · r3

The authors cite observational findings that fidgeting rises with sustained task effort and with boring texts, treating this as surprising if stimming were merely load-depleting: "Fidgeting, for example, increases with sustained effort on a task". No effect sizes are printed.

"Fidgeting, for example, increases with sustained effort on a task (Farley et al., 2013) and when reading more boring texts (Witchel et al., 2016)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Stimming can serve as an interactional and communicative resource in collaborative activity, including in academic tasks — related
• Stimming and fidgeting are associated with improved cognitive performance, while suppressing stimming consumes cognitive resources — related
• Cognitive Load Theory lacks a motivational focus, which becomes problematic when interpreting interventions that foster effortful learning strategies — related