Effects of social problem -solving rules on the behavior of students with ADHD during group interactions
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of added problem-solving structure on the performance and behavior of students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) while interacting in small groups with normally active peers during two verbal problem-solving tasks. One hundred twenty-six, 4th through 8th grade students worked cooperatively in groups of three. Thirty-four participants qualified as having symptoms of ADHD and fifty were identified as normally active comparison peers. Task-condition of high structure was defined as social problem-solving rules about how to interact, which included (a) turn-taking, (b) justification of individual responses, (c) feedback, and (d) group consensus versus low structure without rules. The design of the study was a mixed design with four between factors (i.e., gender, type, group and task-condition) and one within random factor (i.e., pair). Proc Mixed (i.e., hierarchical linear model) analyses indicated that the high structure task-condition yielded less negative verbal and off-task (i.e., noises, disruptions, out-of-seat) behavior and greater success for all students. The high structure task-condition also yielded less positive nonverbal behavior, defined as giving, sharing, cooperation, and more watching and working alone than the low structure task-condition. In other words, problem-solving structure decreased negative activity as well as cooperative behavior. There were no differences between task-conditions for positive verbal behavior (e.g., task-related comments, questions). Specifically related to students with symptoms of ADHD, planned comparisons indicated that they exhibited more negative verbal and off-task behavior than their peers. Central to the purpose of the study, students with symptoms of ADHD exhibited less negative verbal and off-task behavior during the high structure task-condition than during the low structure task-condition; comparison students responded equivalently. Similarly, boys were more successful than girls, but only during the high structure task-condition. Thus, primary benefits of added problem-solving structure were found for students with symptoms of ADHD and for boys. The findings were discussed in terms of teachers' objectives for small classroom groups and in relation to most prior research that has failed to discover differential gains for students with ADHD when structure was defined as what-to-do rather than as how-to-do.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Zentall, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Special education
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