Fidgeting in the Browser: An Empirical Study of a Virtual Self-Regulation Tool for ADHD

Individuals with ADHD often use self-regulation methods to stay focused, such as fidgeting with physical artifacts while interacting with web content. To support self-regulation, we designed a virtual fidget spinner as a browser overlay. The feature was developed through a participatory approach involving one author (diagnosed with ADHD) and an ADHD focus group (n=3), who contributed to the design phase. To understand existing fidgeting behaviors, we conducted online surveys with individuals with ADHD (n=25). Based on these insights, we designed a virtual fidget spinner, evaluated through interviews and think-aloud studies (n=12). Our findings offer insights into the fidgeting preferences of individuals with ADHD, providing key considerations for designing effective virtual fidgeting tools, particularly in terms of multimodality and ensuring a satisfactory user experience. Results show that these tools need to strike a balance between distraction that helps to focus and accommodating user preferences for effective self-regulation.