Reverse engineering my ADHD test(nullpt.rs)
315 points by hazebooth 14 days ago | 222 comments
tl;dr: A developer took an online ADHD assessment, captured its JavaScript source, and reverse-engineered how it tracks spacebar presses, "bad" keypresses, and window focus loss to score four metrics (Attentiveness, Timeliness, Impulsiveness, Hyper-Reactivity). They also discovered they could sign up for a free provider trial account and administer tests to themselves, running a controlled experiment comparing a "spam" run (flagged low-credibility) versus a serious attempt (flagged high impulsivity). The psychiatrist ultimately confirmed an ADHD diagnosis.
HN Discussion:
  • Playful appreciation for the author's hacker mindset in reverse-engineering the test
  • Shared experiences of taking similar ADHD tests confirming the article's observations
  • ADHD diagnostics are fundamentally unreliable due to lack of biomarkers and weak methodology
  • ~Concern about trying to game the test and worry about misdiagnosis
  • Author engagement and questions about open-sourcing or legal implications of the work