Working Memory Load and Inhibition Performance Among Children With ADHD

Orhan, Ibrahim ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1755-6534 and Paralik, Ishin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7707-5544 (2025) Working Memory Load and Inhibition Performance Among Children With ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders. doi:10.1177/10870547251397022 (In Press)

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Abstract

Objective: Inhibition is a critical executive function for stopping routine responses and facilitating planned behaviour. Although the results are mixed, individuals with ADHD are reported to have poorer inhibition performance; however, this remains a subject of ongoing debate. Findings in the literature suggest that the central executive component of working memory and resource allocation could play a role. The present study investigated whether varying maintenance demands would influence inhibition performance among children with and without ADHD. Materials and Methods: The study sample comprised 80 children aged between 7 and 11 years (60 males and 20 females; M age = 9.01). For the first time in the literature, participants completed a Go/no-go Task with four levels of gradually increased working memory load. The data was analysed using mixed repeated measures ANOVA. Results and Conclusion: A significant main effect of group, load and interaction were obtained. There was no significant difference in inhibition performance between the two groups when there was no working memory load. However, in the presence of a load, the ADHD group consistently scored lower across all load conditions. Their inhibition performance declined as the load increased. Under the heaviest load condition, the ADHD group obtained the worst scores, whereas the control group’s performance improved. In conclusion, introducing a working memory load has a large negative impact on the inhibition performance of the ADHD group but not the control group. These results suggest that children with ADHD struggle to allocate enough resources to meet the increased task demand for optimal inhibition performance.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	ADHD; inhibition performance; working memory load; resource allocation; concentration
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education, Health and Sciences
Depositing User:	Charlotte Crutchlow
Date Deposited:	02 Dec 2025 10:53
Last Modified:	02 Dec 2025 11:15
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/15610

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