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The impact of doodling on cognition and affect: A scoping review
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The impact of doodling on cognition and affect: A scoping review

Kristyn Sandra Stickley, Kim Valldejuli and Girija Kaimal
The arts in psychotherapy, v 96, 102368
Nov 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2025.102368
Featured in Collection :   Research Supported by Drexel Libraries' OA Programs
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2025.102368View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open Access via Drexel Libraries Read and Publish Program 2025 Open CC BY-NC V4.0

Abstract

Doodling Doodle Cognition Affect Art Art or Music Therapy Cognitive Psychology
This scoping review describes what is known about the impact of doodling on processes of cognition and affect, as well as what gaps remain, and provides an operationalized definition of doodling that can be used in future scientific inquiry. Sources were eligible for inclusion in this review if they were written in English and were relevant to our objectives and research questions. Rigorous, peer-reviewed empirical studies on doodling’s impact on cognition and affect were included in the final synthesis. Significant differences in definitions of doodling across studies became apparent, rendering the synthesis of studies challenging. Evidence indicates contradictory findings on the impact of doodling on cognition (whether it enhances or diminishes cognitive performance), and consistent evidence suggests that doodling positively impacts affect. Further rigorous, naturalistic inquiry with a consistently used, operationalized definition of doodling is needed to determine the effect of doodling on cognition and affect. An operationalized definition of doodling is provided, supporting a recommendation that such a definition be consistently used in conjunction with study designs that capture participants’ real-world experiences of doodling.

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Web of Science research areas
Psychology, Clinical
Rehabilitation
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