Working memory demands impair skill acquisition in children with ADHD.
Abstract
This study examined the process of cognitive skill acquisition under differential working memory (WM) load conditions in children with the primarily inattentive (n = 21) and the combined (n = 32) subtypes of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and compared the results with those of non-ADHD controls (n = 48). Children completed 2 tasks of cognitive skill acquisition: alphabet arithmetic and finger math. The tasks differed in the amount of WM required for execution (alphabet arithmetic required more) but were otherwise matched with respect to logical structure, design, and discriminatory power. As would be predicted if the WM of the to-be-learned task affected the ability of children with ADHD to develop automaticity for a complex cognitive skill, ADHD-related impairments in the development of automaticity were seen for alphabet arithmetic but not for finger math. Results not only are relevant to ongoing debate regarding the presence of effortful versus automatic cognitive deficits in ADHD but also have implications for the development of new psychoeducational interventions for children with ADHD.
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Working memory and related executive functions play an important role in social functioning for children with ADHD.
“working memory and related executive functions play an important role in social functioning for children with ADHD (Huang-Pollock et al., 2010; Kofler et al., 2011).”
From Improving Outcomes for Youth with ADHD: A Conceptual Framework for Combined Neurocognitive and Skill-Based Treatment Approaches (2014) · cites this paper as Huang-Pollock et al., 2010
Children with ADHD struggle to learn a new task under high cognitive load but not under low cognitive load.
“children with ADHD had difficulty learning a new task under high but not low cognitive load conditions”
From Improving Outcomes for Youth with ADHD: A Conceptual Framework for Combined Neurocognitive and Skill-Based Treatment Approaches (2014) · cites this paper as Huang-Pollock & Karalunas, 2010
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References 78 · Cited by 38
- Authors
- Huang-Pollock, C. L., & Karalunas, S. L.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- ORCID
- Karalunas, Sarah L.
- Venue
- Journal of Abnormal Psychology
- Published
- 2010-02
- Volume
- 119
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 174-185
- ISSN
- 0021-843X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1846
- OpenAlex
- W2001215850
- Cited by
- 38
- References
- 78
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 3.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Abnormal Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R03 MH075731)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, working memory load, cognitive skill acquisition, automaticity, combined subtype, children
- MeSH terms
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Automatism, Child, Cognition Disorders, Female, Humans, Learning, Male, Mathematics, Memory, Short-Term, Neuropsychological Tests, Reaction Time, Severity of Illness Index
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