The impact of doodling on cognition and affect: A scoping review

Abstract

This scoping review describes what is known about the impact of doodling on processes of cognition and affect, as well as what gaps remain, and provides an operationalized definition of doodling that can be used in future scientific inquiry. Sources were eligible for inclusion in this review if they were written in English and were relevant to our objectives and research questions. Rigorous, peer-reviewed empirical studies on doodling’s impact on cognition and affect were included in the final synthesis. Significant differences in definitions of doodling across studies became apparent, rendering the synthesis of studies challenging. Evidence indicates contradictory findings on the impact of doodling on cognition (whether it enhances or diminishes cognitive performance), and consistent evidence suggests that doodling positively impacts affect. Further rigorous, naturalistic inquiry with an operationalized definition of doodling is needed to determine the effect of doodling on cognition and affect. An operationalized definition of doodling is provided, supporting a recommendation that such a definition be consistently used in conjunction with study designs that capture participants’ real-world experiences of doodling.

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