Adult ADHD
Visual Abstract
A pilot study of working memory and academic achievement in college students with ADHD.
Working Memory and College Performance
Gropper, Rachel J. Tannock, Rosemary
Summarized by:
August 31, 2023
study source
Journal of Attention Disorders
2009
🔎
What they studied
This study wanted to examine how working memory and ADHD affect academic performance in college.
đź’ˇ
What they found
College students with ADHD had significantly worse working memory. Those with worse working memory tended to have lower GPAs.
👩‍⚕️
What this means
These results suggest that working memory may be a key reason why those with ADHD may struggle academically.
A pilot study of working memory and academic achievement in college students with ADHD.
Objectives
Previous studies have shown that those with ADHD have more difficulty with working memory. Working memory refers to the small amount of easily retrievable memory we use for performing a task.
What is working memory?
This study wanted to see how working memory affects performance for those with ADHD in college.
Study Quote
To investigate working memory (WM), academic achievement, and their relationship in university students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Methods
Researchers performed a study where they compared students with ADHD and students without ADHD.
They performed cognitive testing on both groups to estimate working memory and executive function. They also gathered data on college GPAs.
Study Quote
Participants were university students with previously confirmed diagnoses of ADHD (n = 16) and normal control (NC) students (n = 30). Participants completed 3 auditory–verbal WM measures, 2 visual–spatial WM measures, and 1 control executive function task. Also, they self-reported grade ...
Show More
Results
The results showed that, as expected, those with ADHD had worse auditory-verbal and visual-spatial working memory.
However, there wasn’t necessarily a difference in GPA found in the study, potentially because of the small study size.
Researchers did find a significant link between working memory and GPA. Those with worse auditory-verbal working memory tended to have lower GPAs.
“
Evidence was strongest for auditory–verbal WM. Although auditory–verbal WM was strongly related to students’ academic achievement at university, as indexed by their self-reported GPA, we did not find robust group differences in GPA.
Study Quote
The ADHD group displayed significant weaknesses on auditory–verbal WM tasks and 1 visual–spatial task. They also showed a non significant trend for lower GPAs. Within the entire sample, there was a significant relationship between GPA and auditory–verbal WM.
Conclusions
These results show that working memory significantly affects GPA. Those with ADHD had significant challenges with working memory.
“
Collectively, these findings suggest that university students with ADHD continue to show subtle impairments in WM, which pose a risk for academic achievement at the postsecondary level.
Of note, the negative effects of ADHD on academic performance has been well studied and validated in previous studies:
Study Quote
WM impairments are evident in a subgroup of the ADHD population attending university. WM abilities are linked with, and thus may compromise, academic attainment. Parents and physicians are advised to counsel university-bound students with ADHD to contact the university accessibility serv...
Show More