Stop, look and listen: The problem of sustained attention and impulse control in hyperactive and normal children.

Abstract

A research programme was undertaken to investigate the specific disabilities of hyperactive children and to evaluate the effectiveness of one of the stimulant drugs on the measures found to differentiate between hyperactives and normals. It is argued that a core group of symptoms involving inability to sustain attention and to control impulsivity can account for most of the deficits found in the hyperactive group. It also appears that the stimulants exert their main effect on these deficits. Correlational and factor analytic studies suggest that the same constellation of abilities underlies the behaviour of normal children in several areas of cognitive and social functioning.

Problematic mobile phone use of Swiss adolescents: is it linked with mental health or behaviour?

“…Previous studies found hyperactivity and ADHD associated with problematic internet use (Kaess et al 2014;Ko et al 2012;Kormas et al 2011;Ozturk et al 2013) and using the mobile phone for entertainment (playing games, internet) (Byun et al 2013b;Zheng et al 2014). Hyperactive adolescents are easily distracted, show problems in sustaining attention and are less capable of impulse control (Douglas 1972). Thus, hyperactive adolescents may be prone to develop problematic mobile phone use through the countless possibilities of a mobile phone to drift away, find excitement and escape from boredom.…”

Executive Functions and Their Differential Contribution to Sustained Attention in 5- to 8-Year-Old Children

“…As a last attentional component, Mirsky and colleagues suggested encoding which comprises the mnemonic aspect of attention including the ability to process information sequentially. Because of its relevance in everyday life, research efforts have frequently been directed towards the component of SA as it is regarded to represent a crucial ability both in normative (Riccio, Reynolds, Lowe, & Moore, 2002) and in clinical populations (Douglas, 1972) and thus suggests to be a highly ecologically valid construct.…”

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

“…By the 1970s, inspired by progress in cognitive and experimental psychology in operationally defining attention, researchers emphasized problems with sustained attention and impulse control in addition to hyperactivity (Douglas 1972). Douglas's model, which was quite influential and also highlighted an inclination to seek immediate reinforcement, contributed to the renaming of the disorder as attention deficit disorder (ADD) in 1980 in DSM-III (Association 1980).…”