"It Was Something I Naturally Found Worked and Heard About Later": An Investigation of Body Doubling with Neurodivergent Participants
Tessa Eagle, Kathryn E. Ringland · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing · doi:10.1145/3689648
Summary
This study investigates body doubling—using the presence of others to initiate, maintain focus on, or complete tasks—as a community-driven practice among neurodivergent individuals. The researchers conducted an online survey of 220 participants (193 identifying as neurodivergent, with ADHD and autism most represented) to understand how people define, use, and benefit from body doubling in their daily lives. The research takes a deliberately community-centered approach, developing definitions from participant responses rather than imposing academic frameworks. Participants described body doubling as having another person present—whether physically, virtually, or through recorded media—to help accomplish tasks they might otherwise struggle with. Notably, 75% of respondents actively use body doubling, and many had been practicing it long before learning it had a name, suggesting the strategy emerged organically within neurodivergent communities. The study captures the diversity of body doubling practices: tasks range from household chores and self-care to work and studying; body doubles include friends, family, coworkers, online strangers, and even pre-recorded content like "study with me" videos. Participants engage in body doubling at home, in public spaces like cafes and libraries, and through online platforms and video calls. The researchers also examine motivations, finding that people body double for companionship, accountability, help staying on task, and reducing feelings of anxiety or overwhelm.
Key findings
The paper introduces a conceptual framework mapping body doubling across two spectrums: space/time (from asynchronous recorded content to real-time co-location) and mutuality (from ambient companionship to explicit accountability partnerships). This model reveals that commercial technologies like FocusMate and Pomodoro apps occupy only one corner of the design space—high mutuality, same time/place—while many participants prefer lower-pressure arrangements like studying in a cafe or watching YouTube videos. Key statistics: 86 participants use body doubling for household chores, 64 for studying, 52 for work tasks, and 35 for self-care activities. Friends (132) and family (87) are the most common body doubles, but 45 participants use strangers online and 41 use media/videos. The study challenges productivity-focused framing, finding that body doubling serves goals beyond task completion—including starting tasks, feeling less isolated, and reducing shame around struggles. The research emphasizes that body doubling is highly individualized; what works for one person may not work for another, and preferences vary by task, mood, and context.
Relevance
This paper is significant for accessibility practitioners because it documents an effective, community-developed accommodation strategy that emerged outside clinical or academic contexts. Body doubling represents a form of assistive technology that often uses existing tools (video calls, co-working platforms, public spaces) rather than specialized products. For digital accessibility work, the conceptual framework offers design guidance: technologies supporting neurodivergent users should offer flexibility across the space/time and mutuality spectrums rather than assuming one-size-fits-all solutions. The research also models inclusive research practices—accepting self-diagnosis, centering community knowledge, and recognizing that neurodivergent individuals are experts on their own needs. The findings have implications for remote work accessibility, online learning platforms, and any tools designed to support executive function. Rather than designing productivity surveillance, the paper suggests designing for companionship, flexibility, and reduced shame around task initiation challenges.
Tags: neurodivergence · ADHD · autism · executive function · task management · community-driven research · self-accommodation · survey research