No Evidence for Performance Improvements in Episodic Memory Due to Fidgeting, Doodling or a “Neuro-Enhancing” Drink

Abstract

The media advertises fidgeting devices and nutrition supplements as possible ways to enhance cognition, which often have not been validated. The current study investigates the influence of fidget spinners, stress balls, doodling, and a supposedly neuro-enhancing beverage called “Neuronade” on the encoding performance in an episodic memory task using a within-subject design. Sport students (n = 58, Mage = 24 years; 24 women) learned the method of loci as an episodic memory strategy. Memory encoding took place under different conditions, administered in a partially counterbalanced order. Compared with the baseline, none of the products resulted in memory enhancements, with the fidget spinner and doodling even reducing performances, and the stress ball and the Neuronade not changing cognitive performance. These findings strongly suggest that the scientific community should become more active in investigating claims of supposedly neuro-enhancing products.