Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
Self-Awareness of Executive Functioning Deficits in Adolescents With ADHD
Kayla A Steward1,2, Alexander Tan1,2, Lauren Delgaty1
11 Austin Neuropsychology, PLLC, TX, USA.
Objective:
Children with ADHD lack self-awareness of their social and academic deficits, frequently rating themselves more favorably than external sources. The purpose of the current study was to assess whether adolescents with ADHD also hold a positive bias toward their executive functioning (EF).
Method:
Participants include 22 control and 35 ADHD subjects, aged 11 to 16. Participants and their parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF) Self and Parent forms, respectively. Discrepancy scores were calculated for each domain by subtracting the adolescents' T-score from the parents' T-score.
Results:
Discrepancy scores were significantly higher in the ADHD group than controls within the Inhibit, Shift, Monitor, Emotional Control, Working Memory, and Plan/Organization domains (all p < .05).
Conclusion:
As compared with controls, adolescents with ADHD tend to endorse fewer EF difficulties than what parents report. This is the first study to demonstrate that those with ADHD may overestimate their EF ability.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition
Self-Awareness and Its Effects
Self-Discrepancy Theory

