Developing ADHD in preschool: Testing the dual pathway model of temperament
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Updated: Feb 26, 2026

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
Published on: June 12, 2020
Julia Kerner Auch Koerner1, Nicole Gust2, Franz Petermann2
1a Helmut-Schmidt-University, Hamburg, Germany and Center for Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children at Risk (IDeA) , Frankfurt , Germany.
Abstract:
The dual pathway model of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) suggests that effortful control and positive approach, or surgency, are independent pathways leading to ADHD. This model has been proven on the basis of temperament in school children, however not in preschool children. In this study we tested whether the dual pathway model of ADHD can be replicated in preschool children using temperamental measures. One hundred and nineteen children (59 girls, M-age = 4.97 years, SD = 0.96) participated in a study. Parents rated temperament on the Child Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ) and parents and teachers rated ADHD symptoms (SDQ). We found that effortful control and surgency independently predicted preschool ADHD symptoms but there were no moderations or mediations. Our findings support the dual pathway model of temperament but not compensatory models of ADHD. Ratings of temperament might be an important predictor of which child is at risk to develop clinical ADHD later on and therefore an important part of prevention.
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