Body movement and inattention in learning-disabled and normal children

Four experiments were conducted to test various aspects of an optimal level of arousal model of hyperactivity in learning-disabled children. Vigilance performance and level of body movement were measured while learning-disabled and control children performed in an auditory vigilance task. The results suggested that body movement increased throughout the vigilance task, increased rates of external stimulation result in decreased level of body movement, and learning-disabled children differed from controls in showing higher levels of body movement and poorer vigilance performance. The results were discussed in terms of changes in arousal level and compensatory stimulus-seeking behavior.