A study conducted at the University of Minnesota answers the question “does the order have any real meaning on the person, on his behavior, even on his health?“.
” A clean and tidy desk can be associated with generosity, a rather conventional spirit and even healthier food choices, while a messy desk will be more associated with creativity and entrepreneurship conclude Kathleen Vohs and her Minnesota colleagues. who explain that “ contrary to popular belief, you can really achieve excellent results in a disorderly environment. But it all depends on the activity or the company for which one works “.
To come to their conclusions, the scientists conducted tests.
Participants had to complete questionnaires in an office, some in a clean and orderly room, others on a desk cluttered with papers and office supplies. They then had to make a donation to a charity, and finally choose between two snacks, a candy bar or an apple.
Participants in orderly offices act conventionally. They do what is expected of them. They are more generous with the gift and more reasonable with regard to the snack. They choose the apple unlike the other participants.
But disorder also has advantages. It promotes creativity, a taste for novelty and adventure. Indeed, disordered participants easily imagine new uses for ping-pong balls, and are attracted to unfamiliar objects.
Kathleen Vohs concludes that “ messy environments release traditions and foster the imagination. And that an orderly environment promotes safety and “the conventional “.
However, this study does not answer the question are we orderly because conventional or messy because creative ?