Stroop interference and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Psychopathology

Background:

• Previous reviews on Stroop interference in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) present inconsistent findings.
• Methodological limitations in quantifying Stroop interference, specifically the difference score and Golden's method, may explain these inconsistencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis of Stroop interference in ADHD across all age groups and test variants.
• To address inconsistencies by excluding studies using inadequate quantification methods like Golden's and employing ratio scores.

Main Methods:

• Meta-analysis of 19 studies examining Stroop interference in individuals with ADHD compared to control groups.
• Utilized ratio scores for quantifying interference to mitigate sensitivity issues associated with difference scores.
• Excluded studies employing Golden's method due to inadequate base-word reading correction.

Main Results:

• When using difference scores, mean effect sizes for Stroop interference in ADHD were 0.24 overall, but 1.11 for time-per-item studies, highlighting the impact of the outcome variable.
• Ratio score analysis across 19 studies consistently revealed greater interference in ADHD groups compared to control groups.
• The outcome variable significantly moderated effect sizes when using difference scores.

Conclusions:

• Interference control is a consistently compromised executive function in individuals with ADHD.
• Ratio scores provide a more reliable measure of Stroop interference in ADHD than difference scores or Golden's method.
• This meta-analysis provides robust evidence for impaired interference control in ADHD across diverse study designs and age groups.