Rehearsal strategies and recall performance in boys with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Examined differences in recall performance and rehearsal strategies in boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and comparison boys using an overt rehearsal procedure on a self-paced, multitrial, free recall task. Boys with ADHD recalled fewer words, tended to spend less time rehearsing the items, and spent less time attempting to retrieve them. Although they did not rehearse items less frequently than comparison boys, they relied almost exclusively on repetition of single items. In contrast, comparison boys showed some evidence of using active, multi-item (cumulative) rehearsal. Despite their failure to use cumulative rehearsal, boys with ADHD identified it as more effective than single-item rehearsal in a subsequent forced-choice assessment of strategy knowledge.