Research foundation

Not a habit tracker. A scaffolding system.

Every design decision in Maddy traces back to peer-reviewed research. This page documents the science behind the product.

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Every source below is listed with its full citation and DOI or ISBN.

This is the core evidence base behind the design.

Executive function and task initiation

Why AuDHD brains cannot reliably generate task initiation from internal will alone, and why external scaffolding works.

Barkley, R.A.: Executive Functions: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Evolved
Guilford Press, 2012. The authoritative source on executive function deficits in ADHD. Establishes the neurological basis for why "just do it" is not a viable strategy.
Executive function
Willcutt, E.G. et al.: Validity of the executive function theory of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Biological Psychiatry, 57(11), 1336-1346, 2005. Meta-analysis of 83 studies confirming significant executive function deficits across all ADHD presentations. doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.02.006
Executive function

Interoception and AuDHD

Why AuDHDers often cannot reliably sense internal states, and why external prompts are not optional but necessary.

Garfinkel, S.N. et al.: Knowing your own heart: Distinguishing interoceptive accuracy from interoceptive awareness
Biological Psychology, 104, 182-194, 2015. Establishes the distinction between interoceptive accuracy and awareness, foundational for understanding interoception differences. doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.11.004
Interoception
Mahler, K.: Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System
AAPC Publishing, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-942197-32-5. The definitive practical guide on interoception deficits in autism. Directly informs Maddy's 5-state daily check-in.
Interoception

Contingency management and reward timing

Why immediate, concrete rewards outperform delayed incentives for dopamine-deficient reward pathways.

Luman, M., Oosterlaan, J., Sergeant, J.A.: The impact of reinforcement contingencies on AD/HD
Clinical Psychology Review, 25(2), 183-213, 2005. Demonstrates that immediate rewards are significantly more effective than delayed rewards for ADHD populations. doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2004.11.001
Reward timing
Tripp, G., Wickens, J.R.: Dopamine transfer deficit: a neurobiological theory of altered reinforcement mechanisms in ADHD
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(7), 691-704, 2008. Proposes that the dopamine signal for anticipated reward transfers poorly in ADHD, so rewards need to arrive close to the behavior to shape it. doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01851.x
Dopamine

Shame, anxiety, and depression co-occurrence

Why shame-producing systems accelerate anxiety and depression in AuDHD populations, and why the daily reset is not a design choice but a clinical imperative.

Kessler, R.C. et al.: The prevalence and correlates of adult ADHD in the United States
American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(4), 716-723, 2006. Establishes high comorbidity rates: 47.1% anxiety disorders, 38.3% mood disorders in adult ADHD populations. doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.163.4.716
Co-occurrence

Variable regulation and polyvagal theory

Why AuDHD people do not have consistent days, and the neurological basis for state-adaptive design.

Porges, S.W.: The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation
W.W. Norton, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-393-70700-7. Establishes that autonomic nervous system state fundamentally determines an individual's capacity for engagement and task initiation. The theoretical foundation for Maddy's 5-state check-in model.
Regulation