To squish or not to squish: The science behind squishies

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For college students, sitting through a long lecture can be harder than it sounds. About halfway through, your leg starts bouncing under the desk, or your thumb starts clicking your pen without you even noticing.

Lately, many students have been reaching for squishy toys instead. These soft, squeezable toys are marketed as a way to reduce stress and improve focus, but research supporting those claims is still developing.

With the growing popularity of NeeDoh squishy toys, students may find themselves wondering whether waiting in a long line to purchase one is worth the trouble. After all, there is always the possibility of the toys selling out before they reach the front of the line.

Researchers have studied fidgeting for years.

A 2013 study published in Frontiers in Psychology recorded students as they watched a 40-minute lecture video. As the lecture continued, students paid less attention, fidgeted more and remembered less of what they heard.

For many people, fidgeting appears to increase when their attention begins to drift.

For individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), however, fidgeting may work differently.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology found that children with ADHD performed better on working memory tasks when they moved more. Working memory involves temporarily holding and processing information.

Children without ADHD, however, performed worse when they moved more.

A 2024 study of 70 adults with ADHD, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, found a similar pattern. Participants fidgeted more when answering questions correctly, suggesting movement may help some individuals maintain attention.

However, giving someone a toy to fidget with presents a different question, and the answer may depend on the type of toy.

In a classroom study involving 60 young children with ADHD, Florida International University psychologist Paulo Graziano found that children using fidget spinners paid less attention than those who did not use them.

“It was harmful. They were more inattentive,” Graziano told The Hechinger Report.

A 2020 study involving 54 third graders found that fidget spinners negatively affected math scores. Similarly, a 2019 study found that college students using fidget spinners remembered less information from educational videos.

One possible explanation is that fidget spinners require visual attention. Children in Graziano’s study were more interested in watching the spinners move than focusing on their teachers.

Squeezing a stress ball, however, does not require the same visual attention.

A 2019 German study found that fidget spinners and doodling negatively affected memory, while stress balls neither improved nor harmed performance.

In a 2006 study published in the Journal of At-Risk Issues, sixth graders who used stress balls during class were distracted less frequently and performed better on a writing assignment.

Some of the more consistent findings surrounding stress balls involve anxiety.

A 2026 review of randomized trials published in the Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing found that stress balls produced small reductions in anxiety among patients who remained awake during surgery.

A 2023 survey of 129 parents, published in Current Psychology, found that parents of autistic children viewed fidget toys as particularly helpful for managing anxiety.

However, much of the research involves small sample sizes, and findings remain mixed.

For example, a study involving 20 adults undergoing dental cleanings found that stress balls did not significantly affect stress levels.

Although the research offers insight into fidgeting and stress relief, the studies discussed did not directly examine the popular squishy toys students are purchasing. These toys should not be considered treatments for ADHD or anxiety.

Still, existing research suggests that squeezing a toy may be less distracting than using a fidget spinner, particularly when students want to keep their hands occupied without taking their eyes off a lecture.

As researchers continue exploring how movement affects attention and anxiety, they are beginning to distinguish between fidget toys that may offer benefits and those that could become distractions.

For students debating whether to wait in line for the latest NeeDoh, the answer may depend on what they hope to get out of it: a little stress relief, help staying focused or simply something fun to squish.