Whether your desk at work is always pristine or usually in disarray, this one's for you: Both workspace order and disorder can bring benefits, a recent study shows.

It seems that orderly spaces may promote healthy choices, generosity and conventionality; while messy workspaces (often associated with negative qualities) can promote creativity, according to new research from the University of Minnesota. 

Researchers tested the influence of orderly and disorderly environments on people’s decisions and behavior. Participants in three tests were assigned to either an orderly or disorderly room. Some interesting findings: People in an orderly space donated twice as much to charity as those in a disorderly one, and also chose healthier snacks. In addition, those in a disorderly room generated more creative ideas and had a higher average of offering them overall than people in an orderly room. 

"Our findings imply that varying the environment can be an effective way to shape behavior,” said Kathleen D. Vohs, PhD, psychological scientist at the University of Minnesota and an author of the study. “Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights. Orderly environments, in contrast, encourage convention and playing it safe," said Dr. Vohs. The study results were published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Depending on the desired outcome or goal, the study shows that both types of environments can be helpful. Is your desk always neat but your ideas a bit too safe? Try messing things up a bit. If your workspace is usually a disaster area and you're not prone to taking good care of yourself (or others), you might want to straighten things up.

Have you noticed that your being neat or messy at work yields results as indicated in these findings? Please share in the comments below.