Using Metacognitive Methods to Examine Emotion Recognition in Children With ADHD
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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
Alexandra Basile1, Maggie E Toplak1, Brendan F Andrade2,3
1York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
Objective: This study investigated confidence accuracy associations for emotion recognition (ER) in children with ADHD and typically developing children (TD). Method: Thirty-nine children with ADHD and 42 TD (M = 9 years, 11 months, SD = 14.92 months, 26 females) completed an ER task. Intelligence and executive function task performance were also measured. Results: The ADHD group was more confident on ER compared with TD, but no group differences were found on their overall accuracy. Specifically, the ADHD group was more confident in its recognition of sad and angry faces compared with the TD group. On a metacognitive index, the ADHD group displayed lower resolution, suggesting that the TD group was better at discriminating correct from incorrect responses. Higher resolution was associated with lower ADHD symptoms. Conclusion: Confidence ratings with reference to performance on a specific task can provide an index of social-cognition in children with ADHD.
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