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ADHD Traits May Have Provided an Evolutionary Advantage

March 23, 2024

March 22, 2024

ADHD traits such as distractibility and impulsivity may have benefited our ancestors as they foraged for food, and they continue to play a crucial role in how people with ADHD adapt and survive, suggests new research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences.¹

University of Pennsylvania researchers recruited 457 study participants to play an online virtual berry-picking game. The goal was to collect as many berries as possible within eight minutes by hovering their cursor over bushes. The players could stay at a bush or move to another, which would incur a brief timeout.

Slightly less than half (45%) of the participants screened positive for symptoms consistent with an ADHD diagnosis, though this did not constitute a diagnosis because it was a self-reported assessment. Those participants spent shorter periods in each patch and achieved higher reward rates than did participants who did not exhibit ADHD traits.

The results indicated that populations with nomadic lifestyles that benefited from exploring tended to have genes associated with ADHD. Those ADHD traits continue to serve a function today.

“We speculate that ADHD serves as an adaptive specialization for foraging, thus explaining its widespread prevalence and continued persistence in the human population,” the researchers said. “This tendency to explore while foraging might extend to other behaviors such as cycling more frequently between information sources in the classroom or sources of stimulation in the home environment.”

While the study had limitations, the theory as to why ADHD exists — and prevails — may be validating for people with ADHD. Could ADHD traits needed for exploration, such as distractibility, impulsivity, or restlessness, help adults or children with ADHD adapt and thrive? Might this research help educate others about the condition? We asked ADDitude readers for their viewpoints.

“There Is Power in Understanding”

“Yes! I love this theory. I can see how flitting from berry bush to berry bush with my ‘Oooh, look over there!’ brain could have helped my clan thrive.”

“I find it very validating that we are ‘wired for survival.’”

“I absolutely think this theory can help educate others about the condition. However, it’s important not to minimize the struggles that come with ADHD because our modern world is geared toward neurotypical individuals. Put the ADHD mind in an environment it was made for (i.e., foraging), and it will thrive! We need to have a more inclusive view of ADHD and acknowledge both the struggles and the strengths.”

“I find this so validating! Our society and culture make me feel like I’m never good enough. I wish it were the norm to celebrate our unique strengths. We still have a long way to go, but I feel there’s a shift in that direction.”

“As an end-of-career psychotherapist, I got so excited when I read this research. There is power in understanding that we did (and do) indeed belong in the human circle.”

“I loved learning about this theory and that we would have been the ones to think outside the box and find solutions.”

“ADHD Traits Help Me Adapt and Thrive”

“I do feel like my ADHD traits have helped me adapt and thrive. Because of my restlessness and distractibility, I keep up with the latest information in my career. My impulsiveness has allowed me to take risks in my job and other areas of my life, which have turned out incredible (e.g., finding the love of my life, ending up in a career I never imagined that I love, etc.).”

“I travel and have moved a lot for work. If it weren’t for my ADHD, I wouldn’t be as successful as I am today and okay with constantly moving and changing my environment and structure.”

“Because of my ADHD, I have a much wider knowledge base on a self-reported assessment, which is useful when searching for an innovative solution to a problem. The downside is that my ADHD traits have hindered me from becoming an expert in a single subject.”

“Theories Are Great, But Attitudes Need to Change”

“I found the theory interesting and a little validating. I’d really like to see research on the potential evolutionary advantages of two other ADHD traits: hyperfocus and time-blindness.”

“I find it somewhat validating, but more often, I wish my brain would ‘get with the times.’”

“We live in a linear world. I’ve lost out on more jobs because I couldn’t give a linear answer in a job interview and seemed scattered and disorganized. Theories are great, but it’s the attitudes out there and stereotypes that need to change.”

“We Shouldn’t Have to Justify ADHD”

“Frankly, we shouldn’t have to justify ADHD based on a theoretical evolutionary advantage. I’m sick to death of having to sell the validity of disabled people as human beings to an uncaring mainstream. To be considered ‘fully human,’ the average neurotypical person does not have to demonstrate their utility (or the utility of people who shared their traits in the ancestral environment). I don’t think it’s great advocacy to lean on this stuff heavily today.”

“The theory sounds preposterous to me. Distraction, impulsiveness, and depression ruined what might have been a productive life worth living.”

“I don’t buy into the theory at all! Being distracted or impulsive while foraging for food means I’d get eaten first by the lion while those without ADHD would have run to safety.”

“This isn’t helpful. No matter what we tell ourselves to make us feel better, ADHD is not a positive trait. The people with ADHD that we see thriving in the media are the unicorns, not the norm. It won’t help educate others, but it will be a fun fact to tell my son, who has ADHD.”

“I don’t appreciate people saying that the things I struggle with daily are an evolutionary trait or ‘superpower.’ Living in the world with ADHD is hard, and it makes my life more difficult. I wish I didn’t have ADHD.”

“This theory is only validating if it leads to improvements or advances in treatment or ways to handle ADHD symptoms. Is it going to help me get stuff done? Will it help my child succeed in school, be a competent and caring adult, and have meaningful friendships? If not, it might be interesting to think about, but otherwise, it doesn’t matter much to me.”

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