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Article
The Effects of Distraction and a Brief Intervention on Auditory and Visual-Spatial Working Memory in College Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
  • Tara T. Lineweaver, Butler University
  • Suneeta Kercood, Butler University
  • Nicole B O'Keeffe
  • Kathleen M. O'Brien
  • Eric J. Massey
  • Samantha J. Campbell
  • Jenna M. Pierce
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2012
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13803395.2012.683854
Abstract

Two studies addressed how young adult college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 44) compare to their nonaffected peers (n = 42) on tests of auditory and visual–spatial working memory (WM), are vulnerable to auditory and visual distractions, and are affected by a simple intervention. Students with ADHD demonstrated worse auditory WM than did controls. A near significant trend indicated that auditory distractions interfered with the visual WM of both groups and that, whereas controls were also vulnerable to visual distractions, visual distractions improved visualWM in the ADHD group. The intervention was ineffective. Limited correlations emerged between self-reported ADHD symptoms and objective test performances; students with ADHD who perceived themselves as more symptomatic often had better WM and were less vulnerable to distractions than their ADHD peers.

Rights

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology on May 25, 2015, available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13803395.2012.683854.

Citation Information
Lineweaver, T.T., Kercood, S., O’Keeffe, N.B., O’Brien, K.M., Massey, E.J., Campbell, S.J. & Pierce, J.N. (2012). The Effects of Distraction and a Brief Intervention on Auditory and Visual-Spatial Working Memory in College Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 34, 791-805. doi: 10.1080/13803395.2012.683854 Available from: digitalcommons.butler.edu/facsch_papers/423/