Noise Sensitivity and Distraction in Youth with ADHD: The Role of Individual Difference Factors and Noise Types
Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Noise is a prevalent feature of many academic environments. Research examining the impact of noise on the cognitive performance of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has demonstrated a positive effect of white noise and an adverse effect of silence/speech. These results are consistent with the Moderate Brain Arousal (MBA) model of ADHD, in which stimuli that evoke moderate arousal lead to improved performance over noises that are under- or over-stimulating. The present dissertation aims to investigate the noise sensitivity and preferences of adolescents with (n = 52) and without ADHD (n = 51), and the impact of noise on the academic performance of youth with ADHD. First, participants completed a questionnaire examining their levels of noise sensitivity. Youth with ADHD reported higher levels of noise sensitivity than their peers without ADHD, and noise sensitivity was significantly associated with gender and youth-reported inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Second, a subset of participants (n = 16, half with ADHD) completed an interview examining their noise preferences while studying. The responses of youth with ADHD indicated a preference for some noise versus no noise during studying, and difficulties studying in the presence of conversation. In contrast, youth without ADHD did not report a consistent preference for background noise.The third study examined the effects of two noises (babble and white noise) relative to a no noise condition on reading and writing tasks for youth with ADHD. Youth were also asked to rate the perceived difficulty of each task. Planned contrasts revealed that participants in the white noise condition read the passage in less time and wrote more words in their composition compared to participants in the other conditions, though white noise did not improve reading and writing accuracy. The contrasts also revealed that the participants in the babble condition rated the tasks as more difficult than those in the no noise condition. Overall, the findings provided some support for past research and the MBA model. The results also highlight the need for further investigations of noise sensitivity and the effects of noise on academic measures in youth with ADHD. Educational and clinical implications are discussed.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Lauren Patricia Batho
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2593525616