People who doodle during meetings are often assumed to be distracted, but research suggests the opposite may be true. A study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology (online February 27, 2009) found that doodling may actually improve attention and memory. In the study, participants listened to a two-and-a-half-minute telephone recording that included the names of eight people invited to a party. Half of the participants were asked to doodle while listening, while the others were not. Those who doodled recalled 29% more information than the non-doodling group. The lead researcher, Jackie Andrade of the University of Plymouth, suggested that doodling helps reduce daydreaming by keeping the mind lightly engaged, which may improve focus during otherwise boring tasks.