“It was something I naturally found worked and heard about later”: An Investigation of Body Doubling with Neurodivergent Participants

Abstract

Body doubling has emerged as a community-driven phenomenon primarily employed by neurodivergent individuals. In this work, we survey 220 people to investigate how, when, and why they engage in body doubling and their own definitions for it. The community roughly defines it as using the presence of others to start, stay focused on or accomplish a task. Tasks can be productivity or leisure-related. A body double can be collocated or remote, recorded or live, known or a stranger. This phenomenon remains nameless to many neurodivergent individuals; however, once presented with the term and concept, many recognize it as a strategy they have engaged in for years. We present the variety of ways people engage in body doubling (e.g., at a café, with YouTube videos), the diverse range of tasks people utilize it for (e.g., studying and working, doing dishes, cleaning, exercising, etc.), and their motivations for doing so (e.g., generating momentum, staying on task). Lastly, we present implications for future work based upon a two-part model of body doubling as a continuum of space/time and mutuality.