ADHD Subtype Differences in Reinforcement Sensitivity and Visuospatial Working Memory
Open accessAbstract
Both cognitive and motivational deficits are thought to give rise to the problems in the combined (ADHD-C) and inattentive subtype (ADHD-I) of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In both subtypes one of the most prominent cognitive weaknesses appears to be in visuospatial working memory (WM), which is composed of short-term memory (STM) and a central executive (CE). In children with ADHD-C, both STM and the CE seem impaired, and together with motivational impairments, give rise to their deficits in visuospatial WM. In children with ADHD-I, no studies investigated these WM components and their interplay with motivational impairments. Effects of a standard (feedback only) and a high level of reinforcement (feedback + 10 euros) on visuospatial WM-, STM-, and CE performance were examined in 27 children with ADHD-I (restrictive-subtype), 70 children with ADHD-C, and 40 typically developing controls (aged 9-12). In both ADHD-subtypes CE and WM performance was worse than in controls. STM performance of children with ADHD-I was, in contrast to that of children with ADHD-C, not different from controls. STM and WM performance was worse in ADHD-C than in ADHD-I, whereas CE-related performance did not differ. High reinforcement improved STM and WM performance in both subtypes but not in controls. This improvement was equally pronounced in both subtypes. High reinforcement did not improve CE-related performance. Both subtypes have equally pronounced motivational deficits, which have detrimental effects on their visuospatial STM and WM performance. In contrast to children with ADHD-C, children with ADHD-I seem unimpaired on visuospatial STM; only an impaired CE and motivational impairments give rise to their deficits in visuospatial WM.
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Impaired STM performance in children with ADHD-I results from insufficient motivation to perform.
“This suggests that impaired STM performance in children with ADHD-I results from insufficient motivation to perform (also see [35]),”
From Prevalence and diagnostic validity of motivational impairments and deficits in visuospatial short-term memory and working memory in ADHD subtypes (2015) · cites this paper as [35]
The Discussion says motivational deficits detrimentally affect visuospatial short-term memory performance in children with ADHD-I, and the Clinical Implications say they may perform suboptimally when motivation is insufficient. But the Discussion also reports no significant short-term memory impairment relative to controls, so the source does not establish the claimed impairment or its cause as stated. No page number is available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredChildren with ADHD-I are less impaired on visuospatial WM than children with ADHD-C.
“evidence suggests that children with ADHD-I are less impaired on visuospatial WM than children with ADHD-C”
From Prevalence and diagnostic validity of motivational impairments and deficits in visuospatial short-term memory and working memory in ADHD subtypes (2015) · cites this paper as [35]
Children with ADHD-I, in contrast to children with ADHD-C, seem unimpaired on visuospatial STM (at least when motivational deficits are taken into account).
“and, in contrast to children with ADHD-C, seem unimpaired on visuospatial STM (at least when motivational deficits are taken into account; [30, 35-37]; also see [7, 38, 66]).”
From Prevalence and diagnostic validity of motivational impairments and deficits in visuospatial short-term memory and working memory in ADHD subtypes (2015) · cites this paper as [35]
These results are in line with the theoretical appraisal by Diamond and with recent studies that children with ADHD-I, in contrast to children with ADHD-C, are especially impaired on the central executive component, but not on the STM component of WM.
“These results are in line with the theoretical appraisal by Diamond [30] and with recent studies which suggest that children with ADHD-I, in contrast to children with ADHD-C, are especially impaired on the central executive component, but not on the STM component of WM [30, 35, 36].”
From Prevalence and diagnostic validity of motivational impairments and deficits in visuospatial short-term memory and working memory in ADHD subtypes (2015) · cites this paper as [35]
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References 68 · Cited by 22
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- [39]39. Pelham, W. E., & Fabiano, G. A. (2008). Evidence-based psychosocial treatment for ADHD: An update. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 37, 184-214.
- [56]56. Wechsler, D. (1997). Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-3rd edition (WAIS-III). San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Assessment.
- Authors
- Dovis, S., Van der Oord, S., Wiers, R. W., & Prins, P. J. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
- ,
- Corresponding author
- Dovis, Sebastiaan
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2014-04-25
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 859-874
- ISSN
- 1537-4416 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-4424
- OpenAlex
- W2035023345
- Cited by
- 22
- References
- 68
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 1.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- handle.uba.uva.nl
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Lirias (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD subtypes, inattentive subtype, combined subtype, visuospatial working memory, short-term memory, central executive, reinforcement sensitivity, monetary rewards, motivational deficits, children
- MeSH terms
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Female, Humans, Male, Memory Disorders, Memory, Short-Term, Motivation, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychological Tests, Reinforcement, Psychology, Space Perception, Thinking, Visual Perception, Case-Control Studies, Executive Function
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