Don’t let the neatniks get you down if your desk is less than pristine. A new study from the University of Minnesota suggests that while there are practical benefits to keeping a neat desk, a messy one may bolster creative thinking. Researchers asked a group of college-age students to fill out some questionnaires in a clean and orderly office or a messy, paper-strewn one.
Afterward, the students were given the chance to donate to a charity and to take an apple or a chocolate snack as they left. Those who worked in the neat offices gave more to the charity than the ones who worked in the messy environments, and were more likely to take apples instead of candy bars.
Next, the students were assigned to either a clean or messy office and asked to come up with novel uses for ping pong balls. Both groups came up with the same number of ideas, but impartial judges viewed the ones from study participants assigned to the messy offices as more creative.
