Messages of medication: effects of actual versus informed medication status on hyperactive boys' expectancies and self-evaluations.
After 15 boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were informed that they had taken either medication or placebo, they completed computer tasks, self-assessments, and causal judgments. The boys predicted better performance when told they were on medication versus placebo. For self-evaluations, medication status and information interacted, with boys actually taking placebo rating themselves more positively when told they had taken medication versus placebo. These effects were more apparent following failure than success. Both ADHD and comparison boys overestimated future classroom performance, with the former more unrealistic. Discussion focused on difficulties in assessing children's causal reasoning and the need to monitor emanative effects of pharmacotherapy on self-cognitions.
U California, Program in Social Ecology, Irvine.
Carol K
CK
Whalen
Barbara
B
Henker
Stephen P
SP
Hinshaw
Tracy
T
Heller
Alice
A
Huber-Dressler
D000124:Achievement; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010553:Personality Development; D012649:Self Concept; D012718:Set, Psychology