Comparison of working memory, divided and selective attention in children with different types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder- ADHD

Abstract

Introduction: Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity are among the most common behavioral disorders in children which include three subgroups including inattention, hyperactivity - impulsivity (disinhibition) and mixed form. Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder might be along with basic symptoms in memory and attention and Working memory and various forms of selective and divided attention are compared in this study in hyperactive children and children with attention deficit.

Method: in this study, 40 hyperactive children and children with attention deficit who have referred to children's psychiatric and occupational therapy centers in Tehran in 2016 have been selected as sample using stratified random sampling. This was a descriptive-analytic study. Data were collected using Kim Karad’s working memory test and Stroop’s selective and divided attention test. Obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software.

Findings: findings showed significant difference between average working memory of three groups of children with attention deficit, hyperactivity and mixed form.  In this way that working memory in mixed form group had the weakest average, attention deficit had moderate average and hyperactive had the highest average. Comparison of selective and divided attention also indicated a significant difference between groups. In this way that, selective attention of children with mixed form with the least of all and it was the highest of all in hyperactive children. Divided attention or attention management was also the weakest in mixed form group and it had a higher average than the rest in hyperactive type.

Discussion and conclusion: based on objectives and method of the research which was comparative, findings showed that active visual memory was more damaged in children with mixed form compare to two types of hyperactive children or children attention deficit. Also, findings related to comparison of selective and divided attention showed that selective and divided attention was lower in hyperactive children with mixed attention deficit compared to hyperactive children and was lower than attention deficit type in the next level.

Keywords: selective attention, divided attention, hyperactive, attention deficit, mixed