Visual Search by Children with and without ADHD

Objective: To summarize the literature that has employed visual search tasks to assess automatic and effortful selective visual attention in children with and without ADHD. Method: Seven studies with a combined sample of 180 children with ADHD (M age = 10.9) and 193 normally developing children (M a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of attention disorders 2008-07, Vol.12 (1), p.44
Main Authors: Mullane, Jennifer C, Klein, Raymond M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attention
Attention Deficit Disorders
Children
Hyperactivity
Qualitative Research
Task Analysis
Visual Stimuli
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Objective: To summarize the literature that has employed visual search tasks to assess automatic and effortful selective visual attention in children with and without ADHD. Method: Seven studies with a combined sample of 180 children with ADHD (M age = 10.9) and 193 normally developing children (M age = 10.8) are located. Results: Using a qualitative approach, the authors find no group difference in automatic search, but results are variable for effortful serial search. Using a novel, graphical approach, the authors find that the ADHD group demonstrated less efficient serial search. This overall effect is explored as a function of search display complexity. Children with ADHD search less efficiently at the lowest and highest levels of display complexity. Conclusion: Children with ADHD show impairments in aspects of their effortful visual selective attention, as measured by visual search. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure, and 4 notes.)
ISSN:1087-0547
DOI:10.1177/1087054707305116