Co gnitive flexibility and inhibitory control in typically developing children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: implications of Stroop test

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Psychology, St. Xavier’s University Kolkata, Kolkata, India.

2 Department of Psychology, Amity University Kolkata, Kolkata, India.

Abstract

Background
Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to flexibly shift between multiple incompatible perspectives or descriptions of an object or event. Cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control are components of executive function that contribute to the development of self-regulation (McClelland & Cameron, 2012) and are a key determinant of scholastic achievement and occupational success. Cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control has been postulated as the core deficit in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and an important treatment outcome objective.
Aim
The present study investigated the cognitive flexibility associated with symptoms of inattention in typically developing children during the school years.
Methods
The Stroop Color–Word test was used to investigate cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control in 70 children diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive type) and 70 healthy control children. Performance differences between neutral and incongruent trials of the Stroop task measured interference and inhibition control.
Results
Findings suggest significant difference between the performances of the two groups, indicating that ADHD children had deficit in cognitive flexibility.
Conclusions
The Stroop test is simplistic in administration and scoring and gives valuable inputs in assessing cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control without employing other sets of assessments. Its use is highly implicated in the outpatient and community setups where detailed psychological assessment is not feasible.

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