Social Functioning in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Examining the Effects of Working Memory and Perspective-Taking

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood disorder that is associated with secondary difficulties extending beyond the diagnostic criteria, including impairment in social functioning. Currently available interventions are typically unsuccessful in reducing social difficulties in ADHD, and it is therefore important to explore factors that contribute to social impairment above and beyond symptom severity. Numerous contributors in non-clinical populations have been established in past literature, including strong links to cognitive abilities. Two cognitive abilities in particular have been previously associated with social functioning; working memory and perspective-taking. In turn, working memory capacity has been found to significantly predict perspective-taking ability. The current study aimed to explore the contributions of working memory and perspective-taking to social functioning in school-aged children with varying levels of inattention and/or hyperactivity. Participants were 100 children aged between 6 and 12 years old. Parent and teacher ratings of social functioning were obtained using a standardised measure, and children’s perspective-taking and working memory were obtained through objective measures of ability. As expected, correlation analyses found all study variables were related to each other. Further, working memory made unique contributions to perspective-taking, and perspective-taking made unique contributions to social functioning, over and above symptom severity. The hypothesis that working memory would mediate the relation between symptom severity and perspective-taking was partially supported. The hypothesis that perspective-taking would mediate the relation between symptoms and social functioning was also partially supported. The findings are discussed with reference to their implications for practice, and future research possibilities are suggested.