Marguerite L. Hoerger & F. Charles Mace. (2006)
A computerized test of self-control predicts classroom behavior.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
39, 147-159.
We assessed choices on a computerized test of
self-control (CTSC) for a group of children with
features of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) and a group of controls. Thirty boys
participated in the study. Fifteen of the children
had been rated by their parents as hyperactive and
inattentive, and 15 were age- and gender-matched
controls in the same classroom. The children were
observed in the classroom for three consecutive
mornings, and data were collected on their activity
levels and attention. The CTSC consisted of two
tasks. In the delay condition, children chose to
receive three rewards after a delay of 60 s or one
reward immediately. In the task-difficulty condition,
the children chose to complete a difficult math
problem and receive three rewards or complete an easier
problem for one reward. The children with ADHD
features made more impulsive choices than their peers
during both conditions, and these choices correlated
with measures of their activity and attention in the classroom.
DESCRIPTORS: self-control, impulsivity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, hyperactivity, concurrent schedules, computer assessment