How Ebbi proves itself

What this page is

Ebbi is a focus planner for adults with ADHD. Every feature in the app is backed by published research, graded for evidence strength, and cited openly. This page is the audit trail. The principles we design from are at the top. The decisions we made and why they are defensible are in the middle. The over thirty peer-reviewed sources that justify those decisions are at the bottom. Our limitations and the questions we still cannot answer are there too. When we find a citation error, we fix it publicly and keep a log.

The principles we build on

Shame-free by default

Self-compassion predicts lower procrastination; negative self-judgment predicts more.

[8]

Time must be visible

ADHD brains underestimate duration. A running ring and projected finish time are interventions, not decoration.

[7]

Friction at start, not at finish

If-then planning and pre-chosen resets reduce the activation cost of beginning, where ADHD executive function is weakest.

[3, 4]

Evidence over opinion

Every citation is graded (meta-analysis, RCT, empirical, review, theoretical). Grades are visible. Weak evidence is disclosed.

Correct in public

When a citation is wrong, we update the app and the site, and we log what changed.

From evidence to feature

Twelve decisions that shaped the product, each tied to specific peer-reviewed sources. Bracketed numbers refer to the reference list.

Core loop

Plan, then focus, then review

Problem observed: Uninterrupted work degrades sustained attention. Unplanned pauses leave people working without direction.
What the literature says: A 2025 meta-analysis on the Pomodoro technique found structured timed work outperformed uninterrupted work on sustained attention. Biwer (2023) showed pre-scheduled breaks beat self-regulated ones on both mood and efficiency. [19, 20, 2]
Our decision: Ebbi's core loop is Plan then Focus then Review. Tasks and resets are pre-sequenced before the session begins.
How it shows up in the app: The Plan tab builds a schedule. The Focus tab runs it. The Review screen closes it.

Task initiation

Pre-chosen resets, not invented ones

Problem observed: ADHD executive function is weakest at the moment of initiation. Deciding what to do next in the middle of a session is exactly when initiation fails.
What the literature says: Gollwitzer's implementation-intention research shows if-then planning produces a medium-to-large effect on goal attainment (d = 0.65 across 94 studies). Gawrilow showed the effect is larger in ADHD children than in controls. [2, 3, 4, 14]
Our decision: Users pre-select their resets during planning, before fatigue. The Reset Bank is the reusable list of those choices.
How it shows up in the app: Reset Bank lives in the Banks tab. Users tap a stored reset instead of inventing one mid-session.

Audio

Ambient noise as a targeted intervention

Problem observed: ADHD brains are under-aroused in the Moderate Brain Arousal model. Ambient noise increases arousal via stochastic resonance, boosting weak neural signals past threshold.
What the literature says: Soderlund 2007 and 2010 showed white noise helped ADHD children on cognitive tasks while hurting controls. A 2024 Nigg meta-analysis (13 studies, g = 0.249 ADHD benefit, g = -0.212 control harm, GRADE: Moderate) replicates the asymmetry. [5, 28, 29, 30, 31]
Our decision: Ebbi ships thirteen soundscapes graded by evidence strength, not by aesthetic preference. White noise carries the strongest grade; others are transparently weaker.
How it shows up in the app: The session sound picker shows the name of each soundscape. The Science view cites the grade.

Time perception

A visible countdown AND a projected finish

Problem observed: Time perception deficits in ADHD are confirmed across duration estimation, reproduction, and discrimination (meta-analysis of 27 studies).
What the literature says: Zheng 2022 establishes the deficit. Progress rings are the standard intervention in research apps that target time blindness. [7]
Our decision: Ebbi shows the remaining time in a ring AND the projected finish time as an absolute clock time. Two redundant views because one of them fails a given user on a given day.
How it shows up in the app: The Focus tab ring shows relative countdown. The "Free at 4:12 PM" chip shows absolute finish. Both update live during pauses and extends.

Shame

No punishment, ever

Problem observed: Shame language predicts procrastination and avoidance. ADHD users specifically report dropping apps that punish missed sessions or break streaks.
What the literature says: Sirois 2014 ties self-compassion to lower procrastination. Clinical ADHD literature warns that shame-based gamification reinforces the exact avoidance loop it claims to fix. [8]
Our decision: Ebbi has no streaks that can break, no red warnings, no shame copy. Ending a session early banks completed items instead of discarding them. Nothing is ever lost.
How it shows up in the app: The end-session sheet makes "Keep going" the loudest option and "End and save progress" the affirmative alternative. "Discard" is a quiet link. Completion never lists per-task time arrows.

Cognitive load

Banks instead of working memory

Problem observed: Working-memory capacity is systematically lower in ADHD adults. Asking them to remember what tasks and resets to use is designing against the disability.
What the literature says: Risko 2016 is the foundational cognitive-offloading review. Rondeel 2021 shows lower-WM individuals benefit more from offloading. [14, 15, 16]
Our decision: The Task Bank and Reset Bank exist to offload remembered items to the app. Once stored, a task can be reused in any session.
How it shows up in the app: The Banks tab holds the Task Bank and the Reset Bank. Plan pulls from them.

Rigidity

Extend the current block, don't break the session

Problem observed: Hyperfocus states can be disrupted by rigid time-based interruptions. Forcing a session to end at the preset time penalizes deep work.
What the literature says: Hupfeld 2019 surveyed adult ADHD users on hyperfocus and found that rigid timers work against focus at least as often as they help it. [18]
Our decision: A one-tap +1 minute and a one-tap +5 minutes are on the action row. Rapid-tappable. No confirmation. No friction.
How it shows up in the app: Focus tab action row: Restart, Skip, Play/Pause, +1 min, +5 min.

Restoration

Break content matters more than break length

Problem observed: A break spent checking email is not restorative. Recovery depends on the activity, not just the duration.
What the literature says: Kim 2022 showed microbreak activity type significantly predicted recovery outcomes. Kaplan's Attention Restoration Theory explains why nature and soft-fascination activities outperform social or cognitive ones. [12, 9, 10, 24, 25]
Our decision: Resets are curated: a walk, a stretch, a glass of water, a pre-selected micro-task switch. Not "take a break and come back."
How it shows up in the app: Reset Bank presets include Stretch, Hydrate, Step away, Switch a small task, Doodle, and Music with eyes closed.

Estimation

Show estimate error, don't judge it

Problem observed: Metacognition about time is weak in ADHD. People don't know their own estimate accuracy until they see it measured.
What the literature says: Metacognitive feedback research shows exposure to the gap between estimate and actual improves calibration over time without shaming the estimator. [7]
Our decision: Every task stores planned vs. actual time. The Progress tab surfaces the pattern. The completion screen shows it without arrows or punishment.
How it shows up in the app: Session-complete card reads "N tasks, M min focused." Per-task deltas are visible in Progress for the curious; not in the face for the exhausted.

Low-capacity days

A mode for days the tank is empty

Problem observed: Executive function is not a fixed trait. It fluctuates with sleep, medication, stress. A rigid planner fails on bad days.
What the literature says: Sonuga-Barke's dual pathway model argues for flexible accommodation of state-level ADHD variation. Clinical ADHD literature reinforces that one-size-fits-all scheduling does not fit. [17]
Our decision: Bad Brain Day mode is a single tap. It opens a gentler preset: fewer tasks, shorter blocks, softer timers, no streak risk.
How it shows up in the app: The Plan tab's Bad Brain Day button swaps the active plan for a curated low-capacity one.

Silence

Silence is a soundscape

Problem observed: Not every ADHD user benefits from noise. The MBA model predicts a subset perform better in silence, especially the hyperactive-impulsive subtype.
What the literature says: Soderlund 2024 found children with elevated hyperactivity/impulsivity performed worse with noise while high-inattention users benefited. Forcing sound on everyone would hurt a defined subgroup. [28]
Our decision: Silence is the thirteenth soundscape. The fresh-install default is Lo-Fi, but Silence is a first-class option with the same UI weight as White Noise.
How it shows up in the app: Session Sound sheet and Settings Sound picker both list Silence as a tappable row.

Notifications

Two nudges, not dozens

Problem observed: Notification fatigue is particularly costly for ADHD users. Each ignored nudge teaches the brain to tune the app out entirely.
What the literature says: Apple HIG on notifications, Microsoft's Work Trend research on attention residue, and clinical ADHD coach literature converge: fewer, more meaningful nudges outperform many generic ones.
Our decision: A morning nudge and an evening review. That's it for the defaults. Pro adds up to five user-authored custom reminders. No engagement pings. No streak reminders.
How it shows up in the app: Settings Notifications shows the two defaults. Custom Reminders is Pro-only and requires explicit user authorship per reminder.

How we weigh sources

Every reference carries one of five grades. We show the grade so readers can judge claims on strength, not number of citations.

Meta-analysis

Pooled evidence across many studies. Strongest.

RCT

Randomized controlled trial. Strong causal.

Empirical

Single peer-reviewed study. Solid.

Review

Literature review or systematic review. Contextual.

Theoretical

Framework or model paper. Directional.

What we don't know yet

Generalization. Most noise-and-ADHD studies were run with children. Adults with ADHD have different arousal baselines and different environments. We grade adult-specific evidence higher when it exists.

Dosage. The optimal task-block duration for ADHD adults is not settled. Twenty minutes is our default because it sits inside the window most studies cluster around, but individual variance is large.

Long-term outcomes. Most cited studies measure single-session effects. We do not yet have evidence for how daily Ebbi use changes outcomes over months.

Comorbidity. ADHD rarely travels alone. Most sources do not stratify by co-occurring conditions. Generalizing to a user who also has anxiety or depression is an inference, not a finding.

Self-selection. People who download a focus planner are not a representative sample of ADHD adults. Any user-data we collect will be biased by who chose to show up.

If you study this area and want to collaborate, email [email protected].

References

Show all 31 references

Willcutt, E. G., Doyle, A. E., Nigg, J. T., Faraone, S. V., & Pennington, B. F. (2005). Validity of the executive function theory of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A meta-analytic review. Biological Psychiatry, 57(11), 1336–1346. DOI Meta-analysis
Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119. DOI Meta-analysis
Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist, 54(7), 493–503. DOI Empirical
Gawrilow, C., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2008). Implementation intentions facilitate response inhibition in children with ADHD. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 32(2), 261–280. DOI Empirical
Soderlund, G., Sikstrom, S., & Smart, A. (2007). Listen to the noise. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48(8), 840–847. DOI Empirical
Rausch, V. H., Bauch, E. M., & Bunzeck, N. (2014). White noise improves learning. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 26(7), 1469–1480. DOI Empirical
Zheng, Q., Wang, X., Chiu, K. Y., & Shum, K. K. (2022). Time perception deficits in children and adolescents with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 26(2), 267–281. DOI Meta-analysis
Sirois, F. M. (2014). Procrastination and stress: Exploring the role of self-compassion. Self and Identity, 13(2), 128–145. DOI Empirical
Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge University Press. Theoretical
Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), 169–182. DOI Theoretical
Berto, R. (2014). The role of nature in coping with psycho-physiological stress. Sustainability, 6(9), 5541–5564. DOI Review
Kim, S., Park, Y., & Headrick, L. (2022). Daily micro-break activities and next-task performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(8), 1409–1424. DOI Empirical
Zhu, Z., Chen, C., Yang, Y., Chen, J., & Guo, L. (2024). The effect of structured micro-breaks on concentration performance. Discover Sustainability, 5, 74. DOI Empirical
Risko, E. F., & Gilbert, S. J. (2016). Cognitive offloading. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20(9), 676–688. DOI Review
Rondeel, E., van der Linden, D., & Bijleveld, E. (2021). Individual differences in cognitive offloading. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 662862. Empirical
Cognitive offloading meta-analysis (2025). Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. Springer. DOI Meta-analysis
Sonuga-Barke, E. J. S. (2003). The dual pathway model of AD/HD. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 27(7), 593–604. DOI Theoretical
Hupfeld, K. E., Abagis, T. R., & Shah, P. (2019). Living "in the zone": Hyperfocus in adult ADHD. ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 11(2), 191–208. DOI Empirical
Ogut, E., Senol, D., Kadioglu, B., & Candan, B. (2025). The effect of the Pomodoro technique on academic achievement: A meta-analysis. BMC Medical Education, 25, 130. DOI Meta-analysis
Biwer, F., de Bruin, A. B. H., & van Merrienboer, J. J. G. (2023). When is an interruption a rest? British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(3), 729–742. DOI Empirical
Ratcliffe, E., Gatersleben, B., & Sowden, P. T. (2013). Bird sounds and their contributions to perceived attention restoration and stress recovery. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 36, 221–228. DOI Empirical
Alvarsson, J. J., Wiens, S., & Nilsson, M. E. (2010). Stress recovery during exposure to nature sound and environmental noise. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(3), 1036–1046. DOI Empirical
Gould van Praag, C. D., et al. (2017). Mind-wandering and alterations to default mode network connectivity. Scientific Reports, 7, 45273. DOI Empirical
Rogers, R. D., & Monsell, S. (1995). Costs of a predictable switch between simple cognitive tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 124(2), 207–231. DOI Empirical
Andrade, J. (2010). What does doodling do? Applied Cognitive Psychology, 24(1), 100–106. DOI Empirical
Buckner, R. L., Andrews-Hanna, J. R., & Schacter, D. L. (2008). The brain's default network. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1124, 1–38. DOI Review
Sarkamo, T., et al. (2008). Music listening enhances cognitive recovery and mood after middle cerebral artery stroke. Brain, 131(3), 866–876. DOI Empirical
Nigg, J. T., Bruton, A., Kozlowski, M. B., Johnstone, J. M., & Karalunas, S. L. (2024). Systematic review and meta-analysis: Do white noise and pink noise help with attention in ADHD? Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Meta-analysis
Soderlund, G. B. W., Sikstrom, S., Loftesnes, J. M., & Sonuga-Barke, E. J. (2010). The effects of background white noise on memory performance in inattentive school children. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 6, 55. DOI Empirical
Helps, S. K., Bamford, S., Sonuga-Barke, E. J. S., & Soderlund, G. B. W. (2014). Different effects of adding white noise on cognitive performance of sub-, normal and super-attentive school children. PLoS One, 9(11), e112768. DOI Empirical
Baijot, S., et al. (2016). Neuropsychological and neurophysiological benefits from white noise in children with and without ADHD. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 12, 11. DOI Empirical

Additional supporting literature on attention restoration, working-memory constraints, and cognitive accessibility is available on request at [email protected].

How Ebbi proves itself.