Date of Award

2005

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The present study investigated whether a brief assessment battery with psychometrically adequate properties could accurately screen children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from a control group. A total of 39 participants (21 ADHD, 18 control) ages 6 to 12, were each administered six subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson - Third Edition Tests of Cognitive Abilities Attention Battery (WJ-III) and the Intermediate Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA). Parents and teachers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF). Results indicated that, compared to the control group, the ADHD group scored differently on three WJ-III individual subtests (Concept Formation, Auditory Working Memory and Pair Cancellation) and three factor scores (Broad Attention, Working Memory, and Executive Processes), especially when utilized with the IVA full-scale scores and parent and teacher BRIEF reports. Specifically, the ADHD group had consistently lower performance compared to the control group on tests assessing ability levels, and on measures sensitive to cognitive deficits, the performance of the ADHD group revealed greater deficits when compared to the control group. Discussion focuses on the WJ-III's potential utility as a clinical screening instrument and on directions for future research.

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