Sociometric status of clinic-referred children with attention deficit disorders with and without hyperactivity.
Peer sociometric nominations of clinic-referred children given the diagnosis of Attention) Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADD/H) or Attention Deficit Disorder without Hyperactivity (ADD/WO) were compared to one another and to those of normal control children. Only children with ADD diagnoses in the absence of other major diagnoses were included. Both children with ADD/H (n = 16) and ADD/WO (n = 11) received significantly fewer "liked most" nominations, more "liked least" nominations, and lower social preference scores than normal control (n = 45) children. These results confirm previous findings of social deficits in children with ADD/H, even when codiagnoses are excluded. In addition, they support the validity of the diagnostic category of ADD/WO by demonstrating that the ADD/WO behavior pattern is apparently "psychopathological" in being associated with peer unpopularity after codiagnoses are excluded. When larger groups including all codiagnoses (primarily Conduct Disorder) of children with ADD/H (n = 36) and ADD/WO (n = 20) were compared, identical patterns of peer unpopularity were found, except that children with ADD/H also were significantly more likely to be nominated as a child who "fights most."
Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg 24061.
C L
CL
Carlson
B B
BB
Lahey
C L
CL
Frame
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J
Walker
G W
GW
Hynd
D001288:Attention; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009043:Motor Activity; D010379:Peer Group; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012928:Social Desirability