Working Memory of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Deficit in Basic Processing or Executive Function?

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of the current study is to explore the mechanism of working memory deficits of the children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The performances of working memory of ADHD and normal control children were investigated in the verbal n-back task. The results revealed that there were no significant differences between the ADHD group and the NC group in the memory updating level zero, but the ADHD group performed worse than the NC group both in the memory updating level 1 and level 2. Effect sizes cohen′d were 1.31 and 1.63 separately. Additionally, with the increase of the difficulty of memory updating, the ADHD group showed greater decline than the NC group, indicating a larger memory updating cost. With a 1.54 effectsize at very high level. The results suggested that ADHD children behaved normally in the basic level of working memory, but they showed deficit in the advanced procession of verbal working memory(memory updating), which inferred a larger memory updating cost.

Key words: ADHD, n-back, memory updating, working memory.

摘要： 为探索注意缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）儿童言语工作记忆缺陷的机制，研究采用了言语n-back任务比较了正常儿童与注意缺陷多动障碍儿童的工作记忆成绩。结果表明：在更新水平为0次时，ADHD儿童与正常儿童的成绩没有显著差异，但在更新水平为1次和2次时，ADHD儿童的记忆成绩均显著低于正常儿童，效应量指标（Cohen′d）分别达到了1.31和1.63；另外，在更新难度对记忆成绩的影响上，ADHD儿童表现出了更大的更新代价，效应量指标（Cohen′d）达到了1.54，处在很高的水平。结论认为ADHD儿童在记忆的基础性加工上并不存在明显缺陷，其更大的更新代价表明ADHD儿童在言语工作记忆的执行加工（更新操作）上的缺陷。

关键词: ADHD, n-back, 记忆更新, 工作记忆。

CLC Number:

G442

Zhang Wei. Working Memory of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Deficit in Basic Processing or Executive Function?[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2016, 14(4): 438-445.

张微. 注意缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）儿童的工作记忆：基础加工缺陷还是执行功能问题[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2016, 14(4): 438-445.

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