Mind-Wandering and Childhood ADHD: Experimental Manipulations across Laboratory and Naturalistic Settings

Brittany M Merrill; Joseph S Raiker; Aaron T Mattfeld; Fiona L Macphee; Marcela C Ramos; Xin Zhao; Amy R Altszuler; Jonathan W Schooler; Stefany Coxe; Elizabeth M Gnagy; Andrew R Greiner; Erika K Coles; William E Pelham Jr

doi:10.1007/s10802-022-00912-6

Mind-Wandering and Childhood ADHD: Experimental Manipulations across Laboratory and Naturalistic Settings

Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2022 Sep;50(9):1139-1149. doi: 10.1007/s10802-022-00912-6. Epub 2022 Mar 5.

Authors

Brittany M Merrill^{1

2}, Joseph S Raiker^{3

4}, Aaron T Mattfeld^{3

4}, Fiona L Macphee^{3

4}, Marcela C Ramos^{3

4}, Xin Zhao^{3

4}, Amy R Altszuler^{3

4}, Jonathan W Schooler⁵, Stefany Coxe^{3

4}, Elizabeth M Gnagy³, Andrew R Greiner³, Erika K Coles^{3

4}, William E Pelham Jr^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA. brmerril@fiu.edu.
² Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA. brmerril@fiu.edu.
³ Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.

PMID: 35247108
DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-00912-6

Abstract

The conceptual overlap between mind-wandering and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related impairments is considerable, yet little experimental research examining this overlap among children is available. The current study aims to experimentally manipulate mind-wandering among children with and without ADHD and examine effects on task performance. Participants were 59 children with ADHD and 55 age-matched controls. Participants completed a novel mind-wandering sustained attention to response task (SART) that included non-self-referential and self-referential stimuli to experimentally increase self-referential mind-wandering, reflected by increases in reaction time variability (RTV) following self-referential stimuli. The ADHD group participated in a classroom study with analogue conditions aimed at encouraging self-referential future-oriented thinking (free play/movie before and after class work) compared to a control condition (newscast) and a cross-over methylphenidate trial. The significant interaction between ADHD status and self-referential stimuli on SART performance indicated that self-referential stimuli led to greater RTV among children with ADHD (within-subject d = 1.29) but not among controls. Methylphenidate significantly reduced RTV among youth with ADHD across self-referential (d = 1.07) and non-self-referential conditions (d = 0.72). In the ADHD classroom study, the significant interaction between mind-wandering condition and methylphenidate indicated that methylphenidate led to higher work completion (ds > 5.00), and the free-play mind-wandering condition had more consistent detrimental effects on productivity (ds ≥ 1.25) than the movie mind-wandering condition. This study is the first to manipulate mind-wandering and assess effects among children with ADHD using a behavioral task. Results provide evidence that children with ADHD are uniquely susceptible to mind-wandering interference.

Keywords: Attention; Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Mind-wandering; Psychostimulants.

Publication types

Controlled Clinical Trial
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity* / drug therapy
Child
Humans
Methylphenidate* / pharmacology
Task Performance and Analysis

Substances

Methylphenidate

Grants and funding

R01 MH099030/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States