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Study finds we think better on our feet, literally
- gurkendoktor 12y ago> Engagement was measured by on-task behaviors such as answering a question, raising a hand or participating in active discussion and off-task behaviors like talking out of turn. Funny, these are pretty much the tasks I prefer to do while standing. I love to get my inbox to zero in the morning while dancing from one leg to the other. When I need THINK, however, I'll lower my desk and sit down in my comfy chair, put on heavy headphones (even when I'm alone), and disconnect from the world. I'd love to see whether these children would do better at 4-hour exams with a standing-biased desk, as well.
- DanBC 12y agoIt seems some people can't think unless they can also fidget. Fidgeting is something that's normally punished in classrooms as disruptive (and it sometimes is) rather than tolerated as needed for some people, or better diverted into discrete non-distracting fidgeting. I tend to think the "different learning styles" stuff is mostly not right (people might prefer visual over text but when you test them after different styles the results don't show any significant differences) but this - allowing some people to fidget - seems to be getting some evidence.
- bjelkeman-again 12y agoI am pretty much the same. When I write or do something complicated I sit down. Meetings, interviews, working through the mailbox is best done standing up.
- zatkin 12y agoWhen I have phone interviews, I tend to stand because I can sort of `run through my ideas`.
- digitalzombie 12y agoI guess I'm the weird one, I just lay in bed it's just comfortable and relaxing. I don't want to go across as nervous via phone and plus it calm me down.
- kyriakos 12y agoSame here. I do most business calls while standing or walking around the office. I'm generally a shy person and this helps me speak more freely.
- droopyEyelids 12y agoI hope people don't oversimplify the conclusions here. One notable thing is that students weren't forced to stand. Instead they were provided with a tall desk/stool combo that facilitated standing while allowing for sitting.
- marcosdumay 12y agoWhat makes the title completely wrong. Study does not find we think better on feet. It finds we think better when we are allowed to sit, or stay on feet, as pleases us. And by "us" on the above paragraph, read young children. I'd bet it extends to adults, but the study actually didn't find anything about us.
- sparkzilla 12y agoSponsored by the manufacturers of standing desks.
- jackfoxy 12y agoThe closest I could find to support your assertion is Lessons learned from his research in this area led to creation of Stand2Learn, an offshoot company of a faculty-led startup that manufactures a classroom version of the stand-biased desk. I have been using a motorized adjustable height desk at work for close to 8 months now. I use it in the standing position almost the entire work day, every day. Anecdotally, I do not buy that it makes any difference to my thinking ability. I find it is better for my general physical well-being.