There is useful direct or wider evidence.
The underlying idea has support in ADHD research, broader psychology or both. That still does not prove the Reset feature itself works for everyone.
Research at Reset
Research, clearly.What we know so far.
Reset is built from lived AuDHD experience and shaped by research in ADHD, memory, behaviour change and human-computer interaction. The evidence is uneven, so we say what is established, related or still emerging.
See what informs ResetReading the evidence
Three ways to saywhat we know.
These labels describe the research behind a design choice. They do not rate a person, a task or a day.
The reasoning is sound, but indirect.
The feature draws on research into a closely related problem, age group or setting. Direct adult ADHD evidence may be limited.
The idea is promising and needs testing.
Early studies, theory and lived experience point in a useful direction, but there is not yet enough direct evidence for a strong claim.
What informs the app
Useful ideas,with their limits.
Our reviews look first for ADHD-specific evidence. When that is sparse, we say when a decision comes from broader memory, behaviour-change or human-computer interaction research.
01
Cognitive offloading
Getting a thought out of your head can reduce how much you have to hold in working memory.
Research in the wider population supports external notes and reminders as memory aids. Adults with ADHD often use the same strategies, but direct trials of voice capture for ADHD tasks are still lacking.
In Reset: Offload accepts voice or text, keeps capture quick and lets you check every suggested task.
Sources and limits
- Fuermaier et al. (2013), adult ADHD prospective memory
- Morrison and Richmond (2020), cognitive offloading
- Grinschgl et al. (2021), offloading trade-offs
Most offloading evidence comes from the wider population, not trials of Reset or voice capture in adults with ADHD.
02
Smaller next steps
A specific, manageable action can ask less of planning and working memory than a vague, oversized task.
Research on clear goals and if-then planning supports concrete actions. Studies involving children with ADHD are encouraging, but direct adult ADHD trials of app-generated next steps are limited.
In Reset: large tasks can be broken into short, editable steps. You can change or remove every suggestion.
Sources and limits
- Fuermaier et al. (2013), planning and prospective memory in adult ADHD
- Gawrilow, Gollwitzer and Oettingen (2011), if-then plans
The if-then study involved children with ADHD. It does not test app-generated steps for adults.
03
Intentions that point to action
Plans tend to be more useful when they connect a clear cue with a clear action.
Implementation intentions have strong support in wider behaviour research and promising ADHD-specific findings, especially in younger groups. Adult ADHD evidence is thinner, so Reset avoids presenting an intention as a guarantee.
In Reset: one daily intention can sit beside a small first step, without turning the whole day into a target.
Sources and limits
Useful ADHD-specific evidence exists, but direct evidence for daily intentions in adult app users is limited.
04
Optional reminders
A well-timed cue can help when remembering at the right moment is the difficult part.
Some ADHD studies show reminders can improve a specific behaviour or prompt quicker action, but they do not reliably improve overall completion. Too many alerts can become noise or pressure.
In Reset: reminders are optional, easy to change and written as neutral cues rather than warnings.
Sources and limits
- Nordby et al. (2022), SMS reminders in adults reporting ADHD
- Biederman et al. (2019), medication-refill reminders
Results are mixed, and a refill reminder is not the same as helping someone complete a task.
05
Still emerging
Focus Companion and body doubling
Some people find it easier to begin or stay with a task when another presence is nearby.
Body doubling is widely used in ADHD communities, and social-presence research offers a plausible explanation. Direct adult ADHD research is small and early, so quiet digital company should be treated as a feature to test, not a proven intervention.
In Reset: the Focus Companion is optional, calm and centred on the task. Prompts stay brief and under your control.
Sources and limits
This is early preprint evidence from a small study of 12 people. It does not establish the effectiveness of Reset.
06
Reflection and private patterns
Looking back can help someone notice what supported them, as long as the feedback does not become another judgement.
Structured self-monitoring appears in ADHD support and has encouraging findings. There is no direct proof for AI-written session summaries, and rigid scores or comparisons may add shame and avoidance.
In Reset: session reviews are optional and Insights describe patterns from your own saved sessions. There are no rankings or productivity scores.
Sources and limits
- Scheithauer and Kelley (2017), self-monitoring by college students with ADHD
- Butzbach et al. (2021), metacognition in adult ADHD
- Beaton et al. (2022), experiences of criticism in adults with ADHD
These studies inform reflection and tone. They do not test AI-written summaries or prove that a no-score interface changes outcomes.
From reading to building
How researchchanges Reset.
Research is most useful when it changes a real product decision. These principles are the practical result.
- 01Voice and text both belong.
Offloading should not depend on having the right words or being able to type.
- 02Suggestions stay editable.
Reset can offer a structure, but you keep the final say.
- 03Support stays optional.
Reminders, prompts and company can help some people and distract others.
- 04Insights show cues, not verdicts.
Reset looks for what may have helped without grading your focus or output.
- 05No streaks or public comparison.
A missed day does not become a failure and your data is not a leaderboard.
- 06Claims stay within the evidence.
Reset supports planning and focus. It does not claim to treat ADHD.
Research library
The researchbehind the choices.
We use working evidence reviews to keep product decisions traceable. They bring together ADHD-specific studies, wider research and the gaps between them.
Evidence Map and Theory of Change for Reset
Maps each core feature to the problem it is trying to reduce, the proposed mechanism and the strength of the supporting evidence.
Voice Capture, Cognitive Offloading, and ADHD
Reviews working-memory relief, faster capture, interruption risk, privacy and the need for user-controlled recording.
Daily Intention-Setting for ADHD
Looks at implementation intentions, clear cues and why one specific next action may be more useful than a broad goal.
ADHD-Specific Evidence on Reminders
Examines what reminders can and cannot do, plus timing, personalisation, alert fatigue and respectful wording.
ADHD Body Doubling and Encouraging Feedback
Separates the emerging evidence for social presence from the much less certain case for frequent spoken encouragement.
Metacognition and Self-Monitoring in ADHD
Explores helpful reflection, self-efficacy and pattern recognition, alongside the risks of scores, shame and over-monitoring.
Last reviewed: September 2026. We will update this page as the product and the evidence develop.
See it in practice
See the thinkinginside the product.
Explore how Reset turns this research into practical, low-pressure help for planning, starting and staying with a task.