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Effects of experimenter and mother presence on the attentional performance and activity of hyperactive boys
1School of Psychology, University of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
Insights
Hyperactive boys showed poorer attention when alone or with their mother, but improved with an experimenter present. Their activity and off-task behaviors were higher than controls, with conduct problems impacting performance.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Background:
- Hyperactivity in children is often associated with attentional deficits and behavioral challenges.
- Conduct problems can further complicate the presentation of hyperactivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare attentional performance, activity levels, and off-task behavior in hyperactive boys (with and without conduct problems) versus normal boys.
- To examine the impact of social presence (alone, mother, experimenter) on these measures.
Main Methods:
- A cancellation task was administered to three groups of boys: hyperactive with conduct problems, hyperactive without conduct problems, and normal controls.
- Three conditions were used: performing the task alone, with mother present, and with an experimenter present.
Main Results:
- Both hyperactive groups exhibited lower attentional scores than controls when alone or with their mother, but improved when the experimenter was present.
- Hyperactive boys with conduct problems showed a notable performance decline in the experimenter-present condition.
- Activity and off-task behavior were elevated in hyperactive groups across all conditions, though off-task behavior decreased with an experimenter present in the conduct problem group.
Conclusions:
- The presence of an authority figure (experimenter) can modulate attentional performance in hyperactive children.
- Findings suggest that noncompliance may play a role in the attentional difficulties observed in hyperactive children.
- Implications for the assessment of hyperactivity and understanding its relationship with conduct problems are discussed.
Abstract:
The attentional performance, activity, and off-task behavior of hyperactive boys with and without conduct problems and normal boys were compared on a cancellation task under three conditions: when performing the task alone, with mother present, and with experimenter present. Results indicated that both the hyperactive groups achieved poorer attentional scores than normal subjects in the alone and mother present conditions, but improved in the experimenter present condition. The performance of the hyperactive boys with conduct problems was particularly affected by this condition. The activity and off-task behavior scores of both the hyperactive groups were higher than controls in all conditions, although the hyperactive boys with conduct problems decreased in off-task behavior when the experimenter was present. Attention and behavior scores were not significantly correlated. The implications of these findings for assessment of hyperactivity, and the role of noncompliance in the attentional behavior of hyperactive children, are discussed.