Fidget Spinners Research Articles

The Effects of Fidget Spinners on Oral Reading Fluency

Research on the effectiveness of fidget spinner use in the classroom to increase academic performance and behavior has had mixed results, with no studies evaluating the use of fidget spinners on reading performance. The current study examined the effects of using a fidget spinner on Aimsweb oral reading fluency probes for 66 students in the 3rd through 5th grades at an inner-city public charter school. Students completed an acceptability measure determining whether they liked using the fidget spinner and if they thought it helped them. Results indicated that the fidget spinner use neither significantly increased nor decreased student reading fluency, even for those students who indicated they read more when using the fidget spinner. The current study suggests that even if the fidget spinner does not produce a therapeutic effect there are no significant negative effects on student reading fluency.

Effect of fidget spinners in enhancement of cognitive skills in healthy individuals: An interventional study

Effect of fidget spinners in enhancement of cognitive skills in healthy individuals: An interventional study

Cortico-striatal activity associated with fidget spinner use: an fMRI study

Fidget spinners are said to be a very successful toy, and it's said that it has a good impact on attention for children with ADHD and hand motor control. However, there is limited scientific evidence to support these claims, and there is a lack of data on neurobiological responses to rotating fidget spinners. To better understand the mechanism whereby fidget spinners affect motor behavior, we tried to identify the neural correlates of rotating fidget spinners using functional magnetic resonance imaging and non-magnetic fidget spinners with five types of ease of rotation. As a result, we confirmed that the pre/postcentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, supplementary motor area (SMA), cerebellum, and striatum are activated when rotating spinners. Furthermore, the SMA was activated more with easier-to-rotate spinners. Additionally, a psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed increased functional connectivity between the SMA and the caudate while rotating fidget spinners compared to just holding them. These results suggest that the fine motor control associate with spinning a fidget spinner is supported by the cortico-striatal circuits involved in planning and reward.

Using Fidget Spinners and Stress Balls Do Not Impact College Introductory Psychology Test Scores

Aim: To determine if the use of fidget spinners and stress balls impact college test scores in Introductory Psychology courses. 
 Study Design: A between-participants experimental design was used. Students were randomly assigned into conditions. 
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina, USA. Fall semester.
 Methodology: 170 college students enrolled in Introductory Psychology courses participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to use a fidget spinner, a stress ball, or sit quietly for 3 minutes before a unit test in their Introductory Psychology course.
 Results: Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS. There were no statistically significant differences in test scores between the three groups (P=.28). The fidget spinner group (M=75.82,
 SD=13.12), the stress ball group (M=76.41, SD=13.89), and the control group (M=79.33, SD=11.17) scored similarly to each other on the unit test.
 Conclusion: Using fidget spinners or stress balls do not impact Introductory Psychology test scores.

Tools or Toys? The Effect of Fidget Spinners and Bouncy Bands on the Academic Performance in Children With Varying ADHD-Symptomatology

Fidget tools – such as fidget spinners and bouncy bands – are advertised by manufacturers to improve academic performance in children. Therefore, these tools are often used in the classroom setting, either as a universal tool for all children or specifically for children with elevated ADHD-symptomatology. However, there is a paucity of ecologically valid research on the effectiveness of these tools in elementary school children. This study examined the effect of fidget spinners and bouncy bands on mathematics and listening performance of 233 children (53% boys, Mage = 9.10) in their regular classroom setting. ADHD-symptomatology was assessed by parent report and children’s movement was objectively measured by accelerometers. Linear mixed-effect models revealed that fidget spinners had an overall detrimental effect on academic performance, regardless of ADHD-symptomatology. Likewise, for the bouncy band an overall negative effect on children’s performance was found. However, further exploratory analyses suggested that for children with more symptoms of inattention the use of a bouncy band may reduce the negative effect of these symptoms on mathematics performance. Based on these findings, we advise against the use of fidget spinners or bouncy bands as universal therapeutic classroom tools to improve academic performance in elementary school children. More research is warranted on the potential beneficial effect of bouncy bands for children with elevated inattention symptoms.

Play Is a Child’s Work (on Instagram)

Play Is a Child’s Work (on Instagram)

The Impact of Fidget Spinners on Fine Motor Skills in Individuals with and without ADHD: An Exploratory Analysis

Fidget spinners have been marketed as repetitive motion devices that improve attention and motor performance, and as such, they have become quite appealing to individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). To date, no studies have explored changes in brain activity that may occur due to fidgeting in ADHD. Our aim was to use functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during the performance of a standardized fine motor skills test after using a fidget spinner. Eight right-handed adults with ADHD and eight age and gender matched adults without ADHD (4F/4M, 4 control/4 fidget) performed the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) while their brain oxygenation was monitored using fNIRS. Relative neural efficiency (RNE) and involvement (RNI) were calculated and analyzed for all subtasks of PPT including the less cognitively demanding fine motor subtasks and more complex assembly tasks. The fidget spinner improved both task performance and RNE in the ADHD group but not the non-ADHD group for the less cognitively demanding subtasks. Our results indicate Fidget spinners may improve both relative neural efficiency and fine motor performance in adults with ADHD for less cognitively demanding tasks.

Using Fidget Spinners to Improve On-Task Classroom Behavior for Students With ADHD.

Using fidget toys is one way to allow students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to move while completing academic assignments in the classroom. This study investigated the effect of fidget spinners on the on-task behavior of three second-grade students with ADHD. Before beginning treatment, the rules of use were briefly explained and demonstrated to students by the researchers; students were then provided with fidget spinners during treatment sessions in language arts class. A multiple-baseline design across students was used to determine whether each student had higher levels of on-task behavior when using the fidget spinner. Momentary time sampling was used to record on-task behavior; visual analysis of time-series graphs showed large immediate and sustained increases in on-task behavior during fidget spinner use. Implications for implementing a fidget spinner intervention and suggestions for future research are discussed.

A Multisite Study of the Effect of Fidget Spinners on Academic Performance

Fidget spinners have become popular worldwide, due not only to their popularity with children but also to the mental health claims made by those who advertise them. While a small number of previous research studies indicate that fidget spinners reduce on-task behavior, no research to date has evaluated their effect on student performance. The current study evaluated 3rd grade students to determine whether their performance on 5-min math curriculum–based measures (CBM) changed depending on whether they had access to a fidget spinner. Results indicated that student performance was lower when they were allowed to use fidget spinners than when the fidget spinner was removed. The current study suggests that fidget spinners may cause a deficit in student performance. However, the effect of fidget spinners may actually lessen as the students habituate to the objects.

Putting a negative spin on it: Using a fidget spinner can impair memory for a video lecture

SummaryFidget spinners have experienced a rapid rise in popularity, at least partially because they are marketed as attentional aides with the potential to enhance student learning. In the current study, college‐aged students watched educational videos while either using a fidget spinner or not. Using a fidget spinner was associated with increased reports of attentional lapses, diminished judgments of learning, and impaired performance on a memory test for the material covered in the video. The adverse effect on learning was observed regardless of whether the use of fidget spinners was manipulated between‐subjects (Experiment 1) or within‐subjects (Experiment 2), and was observed even when the sample and analysis were limited to participants who came into the study with neutral or positive views on the use of fidget spinners. These results suggest that if fidget spinners are beneficial for learning, such benefits are relatively limited or at least do not extend to the conditions present in the current study.

Fidget spinners: most popular children's toys,same dangers as in the past...

Introduction: Fidget spinners are small rotating toys with a central disc and three tips. They are currently one of the most popular children’s toys.Case report: The case of a seven-year-old child admitted to the Emergency Department of the local hospital due to epigastric pain following ingestion of a fidget spinner component is described. Due to presence of a foreign body in the digestive tract, an upper digestive endoscopy (EDA) was performed, and the foreign body identified in the distal esophagus was removed without complications.Discussion/Conclusion: Although these are adequately sized toys, fidget spinners can easily be dismantled by children, allowing easy access to its components. Some units have LED lights with lithium batteries and esophageal ulcers have been described only a few hours after their ingestion. With this report, the authors aim to advise Pediatricians to actively alert parents to the potential risks of a seemingly innocent toy, based on a real case.

Using fidget spinners in teaching some physics concepts

In this article, the use of fidget spinners, which have recently become popular with students, is recommended to increase student motivation for the learning of certain topics in physics and their understanding of them, namely: friction, moment of inertia, torque and conservation of angular momentum.

Role of nonlinearities in topological protection: Testing magnetically coupled fidget spinners

We investigate and experimentally observe the existence of topologically protected interface modes in a one-dimensional mechanical lattice, and we report on the effect of nonlinearities on topological protection. The lattice consists of a one-dimensional array of spinners with nearest neighbor coupling resulting from magnetic interactions. The distance between the spinners is spatially modulated to obtain a diatomic configuration, and to produce a non-trivial interface by breaking spatial inversion symmetry. For small amplitudes of motion, the interactions are approximately linear, and the system supports topologically protected interface modes at frequencies inside the bulk bandgaps of the lattice. Nonlinearities induced by increasing amplitude of motion cause the interface modes to shift outside the bandgaps and merge with the bulk bands. The resulting edge-to-bulk transition causes the extinction of the topologically protected interface mode and extends it to the entire length of the chain. Such transition is predicted by analytical calculations and verified by experimental observations. The paper thus investigates the existence of topologically protected interface modes obtained through broken spatial inversion symmetry, and documents their lack of robustness in the presence of nonlinearities.

Understanding rotational motion using motor-assisted fidget spinner

We investigate the motion of fidget spinners of different configurations with the help of simple devices. Physical quantities associated with the fidget spinner motion like angular speed, moment of inertia and kinetic energy are determined and compared in different configurations. A configurable modification of the fidget spinners is done to verify the law of conservation of angular momentum quantitatively.

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

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.

A Simple Experiment to Determine the Moments of Inertia of the Fidget Spinner by Video Analysis

Nowadays, in almost any country in the world, it is difficult to find a young person who has never played with, seen, or heard of the most famous toy in 2017: the fidget spinner. According to Wikipedia: “The fidget spinner is a toy that consists of a ball-bearing in the center of a multi-lobed flat structure made from metal or plastic designed to spin along its axis with little effort.” Articles on educational proposals related to fidget spinners have been presented recently. Naturally, an issue arises from this polemic context: can fidget spinners be used to illustrate or explain physics concepts such as moment of inertia, torque, and angular momentum? This paper presents a simpler, cheaper, and easier experimental setup to obtain moments of inertia of the fidget spinner by using the free software Tracker for video analysis. A consistency test with an aluminum cylindrical shell ensures the reliability of the experimental setup.

Ingestion of Button Battery From Fidget Spinners

Ingestion of Button Battery From Fidget Spinners

Radiographic appearance and clinical significance of fidget spinner ingestions.

According to anecdotal press reports, there have been medically significant ingestions of fidget spinner toys, including ingestions that required endoscopic intervention. Fidget spinners have been marketed to improve attention and have been suggested as a therapeutic alternative to medications in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To describe the radiographic appearance and features of ingested fidget spinner components. To evaluate clinical significance via rates of endoscopic intervention, incidence in patients on ADHD medications, and mean age compared to other accidental foreign body ingestions. A nested retrospective case control study analyzed pediatric accidental foreign body ingestions identified via electronic medical record search between March 1, 2017, and Feb. 28, 2018. Radiographic identifiability, component type and maximum diameter of ingested fidget spinner components were described. A nested cohort of non-fidget spinner ingestions between May 1 and Aug. 31, 2017, was compared with the fidget spinner ingestions for rates of endoscopic intervention (a), concomitant use of ADHD medication (b) and mean age (c) using the Fisher exact test (a and b) and independent samples t-test (c). There were 1,095 unintentional foreign body ingestions. Ten were ingested fidget spinner component ingestions. Eight of the 10 ingested components were radiographically identifiable. Compared with the nested cohort of non-fidget spinner ingestions, fidget spinner ingestions were more likely to undergo endoscopic intervention (P=0.009, 5/10 fidget spinner ingestions vs. 54/383 other ingestions). Fidget spinner patients were more likely to be on ADHD medication (P=0.011, 2/10 fidget spinners vs. 5/383 other). Fidget spinner mean patient age was significantly older than other ingestions (P=0.015, mean: 7.1years fidget spinner ingestions vs. 4.0years for other ingestions). Compared with other foreign body ingestions, patients who ingested fidget spinner components were more likely to undergo endoscopic intervention, had a higher rate of ADHD medication use and were older. Familiarity with the radiographic appearance of ingested fidget spinner components is important for patient management.

Using a fidget spinner to teach physics

In 2017, almost everywhere in the world, there was a boom in sales of fidget spinners. A toy that has ‘multi-lobes’ that can rotate freely from a thrust performed with the fingers. Thereby, we analysed the physics concepts that involved in this toy, such as angular and linear velocity. We did the analysis using the software Tracker, a laboratory light sensor, a free mobile application that turns the device flashlight into a strobe light source. Thus, we aim to show that it is possible to transform a well-known toy into an opportunity to work on physics concepts and to construct experiments in the classroom.

To Fidget or Not to Fidget, That Is the Question: A Systematic Classroom Evaluation of Fidget Spinners Among Young Children With ADHD

Objective: To examine how fidget spinners affect children with ADHD’s gross motor activity and attentional functioning in class, both during the initial and final phase of an intensive evidence-based behavioral treatment. Method: Using an A-B-A-B design, 60 children (Mage = 4.86 years, 83% Hispanic) diagnosed with ADHD participated in the study. Following a baseline period, four random children from each classroom were given fidget spinners across three separate days (n = 48). Children wore accelerometers and were videotaped for 5-min during class in which attentional data were coded. Results: During the initial phase of treatment (but not during the final phase), the use of fidget spinners was associated with a decrease in activity levels. Children’s use of fidget spinners was associated with poorer attention across both phases of treatment. Conclusion: Fidget spinners negatively influence young children with ADHD’s attentional functioning, even in the context of an evidence-based classroom intervention.