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The impact of instruction and response cost on the modulation of response-style in children with ADHD

Renate Drechsler1, Patrizia Rizzo, Hans-Christoph Steinhausen

  • 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Neumuensterallee 9, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland. renate.drechsler@kjpd.uzh.ch

Behavioral and Brain Functions : BBF
|June 8, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and controls responded similarly to speed and accuracy instructions. Response costs did not differentially impact ADHD strategic control, suggesting task presentation is key.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

  • Investigated strategic cognitive control in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
  • Examined the influence of divergent instructions and response cost on task performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess how children with ADHD and controls adapt their cognitive control strategies.
  • To determine the effects of speed vs. accuracy instructions and response cost on performance.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized self-paced computerized visual search tasks with varying verbal instructions (speed, accuracy).
  • Compared performance between children with ADHD (combined subtype, N=34) and controls (N=34).
  • Manipulated the presence or absence of response cost.

Main Results:

  • Both groups adjusted response latencies and errors based on instructions comparably.
  • Control children showed a greater latency increase under accuracy instructions without response cost.
  • Response cost did not disproportionately affect ADHD response style modulation.
  • Instruction-induced group differences in target criteria were amplified without response cost but diminished with it.

Conclusions:

  • Findings may be explained by delay aversion and motivational regulation models.
  • Task presentation, particularly emphasis in verbal instructions, can influence comparative performance outcomes.
  • Suggests that subtle modifications in task design can significantly alter observed differences between children with ADHD and controls.
Abstract

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