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Flanker performance in female college students with ADHD: a diffusion model analysis

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ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders

Abstract

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by poor adaptation to environmental demands, which leads to various everyday life problems. The present study had four aims: (1) to compare performance in a flanker task in female college students with and without ADHD (N = 39) in a classical analyses of reaction time and error rate and studying the underlying processes using a diffusion model, (2) to compare the amount of focused attention, (3) to explore the adaptation of focused attention, and (4) to relate adaptation to psychological functioning. The study followed a 2-between (group: ADHD vs. control) × 2-within (flanker conflict: incongruent vs. congruent) × 2-within (conflict frequency: 20 vs. 80 %) design. Compared to a control group, the ADHD group displayed prolonged response times accompanied by fewer errors in a flanker task. Results from the diffusion model analyses revealed that the members of the ADHD group showed deficits in non-decisional processes (i.e., higher non-decision time) and leaned more toward accuracy than participants without ADHD (i.e., setting higher boundaries). The ADHD group showed a more focused attention and less adaptation to the task conditions which is related to psychological functioning. Deficient non-decisional processes and poor adaptation are in line with theories of ADHD and presumably typical for the ADHD population, although this has not been shown using a diffusion model. However, we assume that the cautious strategy of trading speed of for accuracy is specific to the subgroup of female college students with ADHD and might be interpreted as a compensation mechanism.

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Notes

  1. A fourth parameter, the starting point z, is not relevant in the current study. The starting point is a measure of bias toward one of the decision bounds. In our analysis, the decision bounds are correct and incorrect responses, respectively. Therefore, a bias toward one of them is a priori impossible. Consequently, we fixed z to a/2.

  2. The only exception was the main effect of condition for the non-decision time t 0. Whereas this main effect was significant when all participants were entered into the analyses, F(1, 37) = 5.00, p = 0.03, it was only marginally significant when the four critical participants were excluded, F(1, 33) = 3.90, p = 0.057.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children at Risk (IDeA), Solmsstraße 73, 60486, Frankfurt, Germany

    Julia Merkt & Caterina Gawrilow

  2. German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF), Schloßstraße 29, 60486, Frankfurt, Germany

    Julia Merkt & Caterina Gawrilow

  3. University of Freiburg, Engelbergerstraße 41, 79085, Freiburg, Germany

    Henrik Singmann

  4. University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146, Hamburg, Germany

    Sebastian Bodenburg

  5. Neurological Outpatient Practice, Hohe Weide 17, 20259, Hamburg, Germany

    Heinrich Goossens-Merkt

  6. University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP, UK

    Andreas Kappes

  7. Helmut-Schmidt-University, University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, Holstenhofweg 85, 22043, Hamburg, Germany

    Mike Wendt

  8. Eberhard Karls University, Schleichstraße 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Caterina Gawrilow

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Merkt, J., Singmann, H., Bodenburg, S. et al. Flanker performance in female college students with ADHD: a diffusion model analysis. ADHD Atten Def Hyp Disord 5, 321–341 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-013-0110-1

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