High trait curiosity drives exploration and learning, yet in ADHD it can be both a source of deep engagement and a challenge in structured academic settings. This UKRI ESRC-funded project investigates how students with ADHD perceive, regulate, and harness hypercuriosity whether as a motivating strength or as a source of distraction and difficulty prioritising tasks. It explores how curiosity manifests across dimensions such as exploration, knowledge-seeking, and sensory engagement, and how these traits interact with attention, motivation, and learning experiences. A research advisory board of neurodivergent students ensures the work remains inclusive, participatory, and grounded in lived experience. By examining hypercuriosity as a potential cognitive asset within ADHD, this research aims to advance understanding of neurodivergent learning and inform more strength-based approaches in institutional policy and practice.
Research Area (1-6):
RA1 (Global Health Innovation)
RA3 (Language, Culture, and Education)
Publications:
Le Cunff, A. L., Ross, F., Westwood, S. J., Koya, S., Caldwell, D. M., Russell, A. E., & Dommett, E. J. (2025). Key Research Questions to Support Neurodiversity in Higher Education: A Participatory Priority Setting Exercise. Education Sciences, 15(7), 839. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15070839
Le Cunff, A. L. (2024). Distractibility and Impulsivity in ADHD as an Evolutionary Mismatch of High Trait Curiosity. Evolutionary Psychological Science, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40806- 024-00400-8
Le Cunff, A. L., Wood, H. C., Kis-Herczegh, P., & Dommett, E. J. (2024). Research Priorities in Neuroeducation: Exploring the Views of Early Career Neuroscientists and Educators. Education Sciences, 14(10), 1117. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14101117
Le Cunff, A. L., Giampietro, V., & Dommett, E. (2024). Neurodiversity and cognitive load in online learning: A systematic review with narrative synthesis. Educational Research Review, 100604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2024.100604
Le Cunff, A. L. (2024). Systematic curiosity as an integrative tool for human flourishing: A conceptual review and framework. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-024-09856-6
Le Cunff, A. L., Logan, P. E., Ford, R., Martis, B. L., Mousset, I., Sekibo, J., … & Giampietro, V. (2023). Co-design for participatory neurodiversity research: collaborating with a community advisory board to design a research study. Journal of Participatory Research Methods, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.35844/001c.66184
Le Cunff, A. L., Giampietro, V., & Dommett, E. (2024). Neurodiversity and cognitive load in online learning: A focus group study. Plos one, 19(4), e0301932. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301932
Le Cunff, A. L., Giampietro, V., & Dommett, E. (2024). Neurodiversity Positively Predicts Perceived Extraneous Load in Online Learning: A Quantitative Research Study. Education Sciences, 14(5), 516. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14050516
Le Cunff, A. L., Dommett, E., & Giampietro, V. (2024). Neurophysiological measures and correlates of cognitive load in attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia: A scoping review and research recommendations. European Journal of Neuroscience, 59(2), 256-282. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.16201
Le Cunff, A. L., Glover, C., Martis, B. L., Giampietro, V., & Dommett, E. (2024). Methodological adjustments for experimental studies including neurodiverse participants: A checklist for before, during, and after laboratory visits. MethodsX, 12, 102658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2024.102658
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