Self-perception of self-regulatory skills in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder aged 8-10 years

Atten Defic Hyperact Disord. 2010 Dec;2(4):171-83. doi: 10.1007/s12402-010-0043-x. Epub 2010 Nov 30.

Abstract

Several studies have reported a characteristic "positive illusory bias" in the self-evaluation of children with ADHD. However, results are controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether children with ADHD aged 8 to 10 years can rate their self-regulatory skills accurately when assessed with an age appropriate instrument. Twenty-seven children with ADHD and 27 matched normal control children completed the Self-rating Scale of Self-regulatory Function (SelfReg), a new rating scale that has been specifically designed for this age group. As expected, children with ADHD rated themselves significantly more dysfunctional than control children. In most domains, self-ratings of children with ADHD did not diverge from parent and teacher ratings to a greater extent than self-ratings of control children, although overall results indicated a moderate tendency toward a positive bias. When a cluster analysis based on discrepancies between children's and adults' evaluations was carried out, three groups with different self-rating patterns emerged: A "positive bias" group containing exclusively children with ADHD, a "negative bias" group containing both children with ADHD and control children, and the largest group of accurate self-raters which also included children from both diagnostic groups. It is concluded that overly positive self-judgments are not a ubiquitous finding in ADHD, but may be confined to a specific subgroup of children whose specific characteristics remain to be determined.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / diagnosis
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / psychology*
  • Child
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Faculty
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Self Concept*
  • Self Report
  • Self-Assessment
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Social Control, Informal*