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Multitasking in adults with ADHD

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ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders

Abstract

Adults with ADHD have problems in everyday multitasking situations presumably because of deficits in executive functions. The present study aims to find out (a) whether adults with ADHD show deficient multitasking performance in a standardized task, (b) how they perceive the multitasking situation, and (c) which task structure might be beneficial for them as compared with adults without ADHD. Therefore, we experimentally compared task performance, mood, and motivation in a group of 45 men with ADHD (M-age = 34.47, SD = 9.95) with a comparison group of 42 men without ADHD (M-age = 31.12, SD = 10.59) in three conditions: (a) a multitasking paradigm, (b) an interleaving condition in which tasks had to be performed without planning or monitoring, and (c) a non-interleaving condition. Our results showed no impaired multitasking performance in adults with ADHD. However, they showed better mood and more motivation in the non-interleaving condition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Research on Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children at Risk (IDeA), German Institute for International Educational Research, University of Frankfurt, Mertonstr. 17, 60325, Frankfurt, Germany

    Caterina Gawrilow

  2. Center for Research on Education and Human Development, Frankfurt, Germany

    Julia Merkt

  3. Neurological Outpatient Practice, Hamburg, Germany

    Heinrich Goossens–Merkt

  4. University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Sebastian Bodenburg

  5. Helmut–Schmidt-University, University of the Federal Armed Forces, Hamburg, Germany

    Mike Wendt

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  1. Caterina Gawrilow
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  2. Julia Merkt
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  3. Heinrich Goossens–Merkt
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  4. Sebastian Bodenburg
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  5. Mike Wendt
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Correspondence to Caterina Gawrilow.

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Gawrilow, C., Merkt, J., Goossens–Merkt, H. et al. Multitasking in adults with ADHD. ADHD Atten Def Hyp Disord 3, 253–264 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-011-0056-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-011-0056-0

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