Abstract
Children aged 5–13 years with DSM-III diagnoses of Attention Deficit (ADDH), Anxiety, (ANX), or Conduct plus ADDH (HC) Disorder and matched normal controls were compared on a set of laboratory measures of impulsivity, arousal, motor performance, activity level, and cognition, and on behavior ratings during testing. While ANX patients did not differ from their controls, ADDH and HC patients did on Verbal IQ, most of the behavior ratings, and on about one-third of the test variables. ANX patients were about 1 year older, and more likely to be female, than ADDH and HC patients. When age, sex, and verbal IQ effects were partialed out, very few differences among the three diagnostic groups remained. The importance of precise control of such variables is emphasized and the impact of the failure to do so in past studies is discussed. The question is raised whether the deficit in verbal IQ is not so much a defect of matching as the essential feature of ADDH from which most of the other commonly reported cognitive symptoms stem.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aman, M. G. (1979). Cognitive, social, and other correlates of specific reading retardation.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 7, 153–168.
American Psychiatric Association. (1980).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed.). Washington D.C.: Author.
Barkley, R. A. (1981a).Hyperactive children: a handbook for diagnosis and treatment (pp. 146–188). New York: Guilford.
Barkley, R. A. (1981b). Hyperactivity. In E. J. Mash & L. G. Terdal (Eds.),Behavioral assessment of childhood disorders (pp. 127–184). New York: Guilford.
Rentier, P., & McClain, J. (1976). A multitrait-multimethod analysis of reflection-impulsivity.Child Development, 47, 218–226.
Campbell, S. B., & Werry, J. S. (1986). Attention deficit disorder (Hyperactivity). In H. C. Quay & J. S. Werry (Eds.),Psychopathological disorders of childhood (3rd ed., pp. 111–153). New York: Wiley.
Cappella, B., Gentile, J. R., & Juliano, D. B. (1977). Time estimation by hyperactive and normal children.Perceptual and Motor Skills, 44, 787–790.
Conners, C. K. (1969). A teacher rating scale for use in drug studies with children.American Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 152–156.
Costello, E. J., Edelbrock, C. S., & Costello, A. J. (1985). Validity of NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 13, 574–596.
Dunn, L. M., & Dunn, L. M. (1981).Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-revised manual, forms L and M. Circle Pines, Minnesota: American Guidance Service.
Eysenck, H. J. (1969).The biological basis of personality. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C Thomas.
More, A., Croft, C., & Reid, N., (1981).Burt Word Reading Test, New Zealand revision, teacher's manual. Wellington: Lithoprint.
Gittelman-Klein, R., Klein, D. F., Katz, S., Saraf, K., & Pollack, E. (1976). Comparative effects of methylphenidate and thioridazine in hyperkinetic children.Archives of General Psychiatry, 33, 1217–1231.
Hicks, R. E., Ellen, D. A., & Mayo, J. P. (1984). A developmental study of temporal duration judgments.Journal of Genetic Psychology, 144, 31–38.
Kagan, J. (1965). Reflection-impulsivity and reading ability in primary age children.Child Development, 36, 609–628.
Klove, H. (1963). Clinical neuropsychology.Medical Clinics of North America, 47, 1647–1658.
Knights, R. M., & Moule, A. D. (1968). Normative data on the motor steadiness battery for children.Perceptual and Motor Skills, 26, 643–650.
Koriath, U., Gualtieri, C. T., Van Bourgondien M. E., Quade, D., & Werry, J. S. (1985). Construct validity of clinical diagnosis in pediatrie psychiatry: Relationship among measures.Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 24, 429–436.
Levy, F., & Hobbes, G. (1979). The influence of social class and sex on sustained attention (vigilance) and motor inhibition in children.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 13, 231–234.
Maccoby, E. E., Dowley, E. M., Hagan, J. W., & Degerman, R. (1965). Activity level and intellectual functioning in normal preschool children.Child Development, 36, 761–770.
Milich, R., & Kramer, J. (1984). Reflections on impulsivity: An empirical investigation. In K. Gadow & I. Bialer (Eds.),Advances in learning and behavioral disabilities (Vol. 3, pp. 57–94). Greenwich, Connecticut: JAI Press.
Mowbray, R. M. (1981). Psychometrics and psychopharmacology. In G. D. Burrows & J. S. Werry (Eds.),Advances in human psychopharmacology (Vol. 2, pp. 129–182). Greenwich, Connecticut: JAI Press.
Nowicki, S., Jr., & Strickland, B. R. (1973). A locus of control scale for children.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 40, 148–154.
Quay, H. C. (1986a). Classification. In H. C. Quay & J. S. Werry (Eds.),Psychopathological disorders of childhood (3rd ed., pp. 1–34). New York: Wiley.
Quay, H. C. (1986b). Conduct disorders. In H. C. Quay & J. S. Werry (Eds.),Psychopathological disorders of childhood (3rd ed., pp. 35–72). New York: Wiley.
Reeves, J. C., Werry, J. S., Elkind, G. S., & Zametkin, A. (1987). Attention deficit, conduct, oppositional and anxiety disorders in children: II. Clinical characteristics.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 26, 133–143.
Ross, D. M., & Ross, S. A. (1982).Hyperactivity: Theory, research, and action (2nd ed., pp. 61–94). New York: Wiley.
Rosvold, A., Mirsky, A., Sarason, I., Bransome, E., & Beck, L. A. (1956). A continuous performance test of brain damage.Journal of Consulting Psychiatry, 20, 343–350.
Sergeant, J. A., & Scholten, C. A. (1985). On resource strategy limitations in hyperactivity: Cognitive impulsivity reconsidered.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26, 97–110.
Sprague, R. L., & Toppe, L. K. (1966). Relationship between activity level and delay of reinforcement.Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 3, 390–397.
Sternberg, S. (1969a). Memory scanning: Mental processes revealed by reaction time experiments.American Scientist, 57, 421–457.
Sternberg, S. (1969b). The discovery of processing stages: Extentions of Donder's method.Acta Psychologica, 30, 276–315.
Taylor, E. A. (Ed.). (in press).The overactive child: Clinics in developmental medicine No. 95. Oxford: S.I.M.P./Blackwell.
Werry, J. S., Reeves, J. C., & Elkind, G. S. (1987). Attention deficit, conduct, oppositional and anxiety disorders in children: I. A review of research on differentiating characteristics.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 26, 144–155.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by the Medical Research Council of New Zealand.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Werry, J.S., Elkind, G.S. & Reeves, J.C. Attention deficit, conduct, oppositional, and anxiety disorders in children: III. Laboratory differences. J Abnorm Child Psychol 15, 409–428 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00916458
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00916458