A diffusion model analysis of task set inertia and task set reconfiguration in ADHD

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Switching is a key executive function, yet understudied in childhood ADHD compared to other executive functions.
• Adult studies link switch costs to task set inertia and reconfiguration; relevance in ADHD remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the specific cognitive subprocesses underlying switching deficits in children with ADHD.
• Determine if ADHD-related switch costs stem from task set inertia, reconfiguration, or general processing speed.

Main Methods:

• Employed a computerized cued switching paradigm with 34 children with ADHD and 28 controls (ages 8-12).
• Utilized diffusion model analysis to decompose cognitive subprocesses influencing switching performance.

Main Results:

• Switch costs in children involve both task set inertia (drift rate) and reconfiguration (Ter).
• Children with ADHD showed lower accuracy, attributed to slower general drift rates, not switch-specific deficits.
• No significant ADHD x Switch interactions indicated general, not specific, performance impairments.

Conclusions:

• Children with ADHD exhibit performance deficits linked to lower-level perceptual decision-making weaknesses.
• These foundational weaknesses have downstream effects on higher-order executive functions in ADHD.