Sex differences in the manifestation of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Item
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Title
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Sex differences in the manifestation of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
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Identifier
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AAI9000720
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identifier
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9000720
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Creator
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Pascualvaca, Daisy Maria.
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Contributor
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Advisers: James R. Tweedy | Jeffrey M. Halperin
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Date
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1989
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Developmental
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Abstract
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The purpose of the present research was to examine gender differences in the manifestation of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Experiment 1 investigated sex differences in attention and behavior problems in a sample of eighty-five (42 boys and 43 girls) non-referred children. Each child was administered a test brief battery which consisted of a continuous performance test, the Matching Familiar Figures Test, Digit Span and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. In addition, children were rated by parents and teachers using the Revised Conners Questionnaires. Teachers rated boys with ADHD as having more behavioral problems than girls, but ADHD boys and girls failed to differ in severity of attention and cognitive deficits. Severity of behavioral problems in girls, but not boys, was found to be highly correlated with attentional and academic problems. These results suggest that ADHD manifests differently in boys and girls, and that ADHD girls may be a more homogeneous group.;Some investigators have suggested that girls have a higher threshold for the manifestation of ADHD, and may be more severely impaired than boys. This hypothesis is based on results of clinic studies and, therefore, these findings may be an artifact of the differing selection and referral processes for boys and girls. The goal of Experiment 2 was to distinguish between referral biases and differences in affliction by comparing groups of clinic-referred ADHD children, teacher-identified ADHD children and normal controls. Children were compared on attentional, behavioral, intellectual and academic measures. In addition, incidence of hyperactivity, academic problems, substance abuse and emotional problems among relatives were compared. The results did not support the hypothesis that girls have a higher threshold for the manifestation of ADHD. Referred ADHD girls were found to be as disruptive as referred boys, but more impaired cognitively and academically. This suggests that there are biases in the referral of boys and girls, and that girls are referred only when severely impaired behaviorally, cognitively and academically.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
