title: Behavioral assessment of impulsivity: a comparison of children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: We conducted a brief computer-based assessment involving choices of concurrently presented arithmetic problems associated with competing reinforcer dimensions to assess impulsivity (choices controlled primarily by reinforcer immediacy) as well as the relative influence of other dimensions (reinforcer rate, quality, and response effort), with 58 children. Results were compared for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who were and were not receiving medication, and with typically developing children without ADHD. Within-subject and between-groups analyses of the ordinal influence of each of the reinforcer dimensions were conducted using both time- and response-allocation measures. In general, the choices of children with ADHD were most influenced by reinforcer immediacy and quality and least by rate and effort, suggesting impulsivity. The choices of children in the non-ADHD group were most influenced by reinforcer quality, and the influence of immediacy relative to the other dimensions was not statistically significant. Results are discussed with respect to the implications for assessment and treatment of ADHD.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Education, Columbus 43210, USA. neef.2@osu.edu
authors.forename: Nancy A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Neef
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marckel
authors.forename: Summer J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ferreri
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Bicard
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Aman
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Sunhwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nist
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Armstrong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology