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Open Access 01-12-2017 | Original Contribution

Time-on-task effects in children with and without ADHD: depletion of executive resources or depletion of motivation?

Authors: Tycho J. Dekkers, Joost A. Agelink van Rentergem, Alette Koole, Wery P. M. van den Wildenberg, Arne Popma, Anika Bexkens, Reino Stoffelsen, Anouk Diekmann, Hilde M. Huizenga

Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry | Issue 12/2017

Abstract

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are characterized by deficits in their executive functioning and motivation. In addition, these children are characterized by a decline in performance as time-on-task increases (i.e., time-on-task effects). However, it is unknown whether these time-on-task effects should be attributed to deficits in executive functioning or to deficits in motivation. Some studies in typically developing (TD) adults indicated that time-on-task effects should be interpreted as depletion of executive resources, but other studies suggested that they represent depletion of motivation. We, therefore, investigated, in children with and without ADHD, whether there were time-on-task effects on executive functions, such as inhibition and (in)attention, and whether these were best explained by depletion of executive resources or depletion of motivation. The stop-signal task (SST), which generates both indices of inhibition (stop-signal reaction time) and attention (reaction time variability and errors), was administered in 96 children (42 ADHD, 54 TD controls; aged 9–13). To differentiate between depletion of resources and depletion of motivation, the SST was administered twice. Half of the participants was reinforced during second task performance, potentially counteracting depletion of motivation. Multilevel analyses indicated that children with ADHD were more affected by time-on-task than controls on two measures of inattention, but not on inhibition. In the ADHD group, reinforcement only improved performance on one index of attention (i.e., reaction time variability). The current findings suggest that time-on-task effects in children with ADHD occur specifically in the attentional domain, and seem to originate in both depletion of executive resources and depletion of motivation. Clinical implications for diagnostics, psycho-education, and intervention are discussed.

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The end score was manipulated to either 9 or 10. This in order to prevent the spread of the rumor that all children had won a present regardless of their performance, as TD controls usually had class together. After all data were gathered, children that ended up with 9 points received a present as well.

Mean reaction times of this participant were 1288 and 1219 ms at T1 and T2, respectively.

SSRT at T1 of this participant was 678 ms.

SSRT at T2 of this participant was 677 ms.

SSRT at T2 of this participant was 538 ms.

Note however that the addition of gender as covariate yielded no differences in the results of the multilevel analyses (see extra analyses in Appendix 2).

Note however that children with ADHD with and without comorbidity did not differ significantly on SSRT at baseline.

These analyses were performed using the retimes package in R.

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Title: Time-on-task effects in children with and without ADHD: depletion of executive resources or depletion of motivation?
Authors: Tycho J. Dekkers
Joost A. Agelink van Rentergem
Alette Koole
Wery P. M. van den Wildenberg
Arne Popma
Anika Bexkens
Reino Stoffelsen
Anouk Diekmann
Hilde M. Huizenga
Publication date: 01-12-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry / Issue 12/2017
Print ISSN: 1018-8827
Electronic ISSN: 1435-165X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-1006-y

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Time-on-task effects in children with and without ADHD: depletion of executive resources or depletion of motivation?

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