Work

Examining Relationships Between Executive Functioning and Delay Aversion in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: Although motivation and cognition are often examined separately, recent theory suggests that a delay-averse motivational style may negatively impact development of executive functions (EFs), such as working memory (WM) and response inhibition (RI) for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; Sonuga-Barke, 2002 Sonuga-Barke , E. ( 2002 ). Psychological heterogeneity in AD/HD—A dual pathway model of behaviour and cognition . Behavioural Brain Research , 130 ( 1–2 ), 29 – 36 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). This model predicts that performance on delay aversion and EF tasks should be correlated for school-age children with ADHD. However, tests of these relationships remain sparse. Forty-five children ages 8 to 12 with ADHD and 46 non-ADHD controls completed tasks measuring EFs and delay aversion. Children with ADHD had poorer WM and RI than non-ADHD controls, as well as nonsignificantly worse delay aversion. Consistent with previous research, RI was not related to delay aversion. However, delay aversion did predict WM scores for children with and without ADHD. Implications for the dual-pathway hypothesis and future research on cognitive and motivational processing in ADHD are discussed.

Source: Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2011.614578

Authors: Sarah L. Karalunas, Cynthia L. Huang-Pollock

Institution: Pennsylvania State University

Language: English

Topic: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health