Abstract
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by executive dysfunctions that disrupt the initiation and maintenance of everyday behaviors, making habit formation challenging. As a result, many individuals with ADHD struggle to sustain healthy routines. Conventional behavior change approaches overlook the complexity and variability of ADHD, highlighting the need for adaptive and personalized methods such as Self-Experimentation (SE). This study explores the potential of SE in supporting individuals with ADHD to change health behaviors. Using a Research through Design approach, stakeholders were involved across three iterative phases. The process resulted in two prototypes that facilitated SE while generating insights on how individuals with ADHD engage with SE. Findings indicate that SE helps reframe behavior change by reducing perfectionism, promoting personalized strategies, and improving self-efficacy. However, challenges of cognitive effort, novelty seeking, and external accountability remain. This suggests that SE may be more promising when introduced in short, facilitated, and simple formats.
Keywords
Design for Behavior Change, ADHD, Self-Experimentation, Design for Wellbeing
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2008
Citation
Şen, Ç., Daalhuizen, J., and Kraal, J.J. (2026) Breaking the cycle: Understanding Self-Experimentation as a health behavior change approach for young adults with ADHD, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2008
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Breaking the cycle: Understanding Self-Experimentation as a health behavior change approach for young adults with ADHD
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by executive dysfunctions that disrupt the initiation and maintenance of everyday behaviors, making habit formation challenging. As a result, many individuals with ADHD struggle to sustain healthy routines. Conventional behavior change approaches overlook the complexity and variability of ADHD, highlighting the need for adaptive and personalized methods such as Self-Experimentation (SE). This study explores the potential of SE in supporting individuals with ADHD to change health behaviors. Using a Research through Design approach, stakeholders were involved across three iterative phases. The process resulted in two prototypes that facilitated SE while generating insights on how individuals with ADHD engage with SE. Findings indicate that SE helps reframe behavior change by reducing perfectionism, promoting personalized strategies, and improving self-efficacy. However, challenges of cognitive effort, novelty seeking, and external accountability remain. This suggests that SE may be more promising when introduced in short, facilitated, and simple formats.