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A Review of the Validity of Laboratory Cognitive Tasks Used to Assess Symptoms of ADHD

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Abstract

Reviewed the validity of frequently used laboratory assessment measures of ADHD symptoms using research published since 1991. Emphasized examining the validity of the tasks as they are commonly used by clinicians and researchers. Tasks evaluated included the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and the Gordon Diagnostic System (GDS), the Children's Checking Task (CCT), Delay of Gratification Tasks, the Choice-Delay Task, (C-DT), and the Stop Signal Task (SST). Results showed that the CPT, C-DT, and the SST had the most support, yet further efforts to evaluate the validity of these measures are needed before they can be used for more than experimental purposes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dalhousie University, Canada

    Shana L. Nichols

  2. Psychology Department, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4J1

    Daniel A. Waschbusch

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  1. Shana L. Nichols
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Correspondence to Daniel A. Waschbusch.

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Nichols, S.L., Waschbusch, D.A. A Review of the Validity of Laboratory Cognitive Tasks Used to Assess Symptoms of ADHD. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 34, 297–315 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:CHUD.0000020681.06865.97

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