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RESEARCH into recall powers shows the doodlers of the world have had a bum rap: they are paying attention after all, British scientists have found..

A study  in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology published today shows that people who doodle while listening to a dull phone conversation have a better chance of recalling what was said than someone who appears to hang off every word.

The study looked at the recall powers of 40 members of the Medical Research Council’s Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge, England, who were split into two camps – those that doodled and those who did not.

Professor Jackie Andrade, from Britain’s University of Plymouth, said the doodlers were able to recall more details of the conversation, suggesting that doodling has the power to prevent us from daydreaming.

A simple task, like doodling, may be sufficient to stop daydreaming without affecting performance on the main task, she said.