The Relationship Between Symptoms of ADHD, Mind Wandering, and Task Performance Among Kindergarten-Aged Children

TL;DR

This study explores how mind wandering, ADHD symptoms, and task performance are connected in young children.

Contribution

The study is the first to examine mind wandering and ADHD symptoms in kindergarten-aged children.

Findings

ADHD symptoms are positively correlated with mind wandering in young children.

Mind wandering is linked to poorer performance in academic tasks, independent of ADHD symptoms.

Abstract

Objective: The association between Mind-Wandering (MW), symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and task performance is understudied in children, and has never been studied in a population of kindergarten-aged children. Kindergarten is an important developmental stage in which children begin to acquire the building stones for proper academic abilities. Methods: One hundred and six kindergarten-aged children performed arithmetic and phonological tasks, and their level of MW was examined after each task in two different sessions. In addition, the ADHD symptoms’ level was collected for each participant. Results: A positive correlation between symptoms of ADHD and MW was found. In addition, reliability assessment of the two probes of MW indicated adequate reliability. Finally, the results suggest a connection between MW and academic-related task performance, beyond the effect of ADHD symptoms. Conclusions: MW is a stable cognitive structure beyond a specific task or time; it is also associated with symptoms of ADHD and relates to poorer performance in academic-related tasks in kindergarten-aged children.

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