Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disordered and control boys' responses to social success and failure

The behavioral, self-evaluative, and attributional responses of 120 boys wi th Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and 65 control boys to social success and failure were examined using a dyadic, laboratory Set-acq uainted task employing child confederates. Objective coders rated boys with ADHD as less socially effective than controls in their interactions, but a lso as less frustrated and helpless. In terms of self-evaluations, ADHD boy s overwhelmingly rated their own performance more favorably than did contro ls and in some instances, these differences were more apparent following fa ilure. The attributional pattern of ADHD and control buys differed in that ADHD boys were more likely than controls to attribute success to external, uncontrollable factors such as task ease and being lucky; controls, on the other hand, were more likely than ADI-ID boys to attribute initial failure to not having tried hard enough. Results are discussed in the context of ex isting literature documenting a positive illusory bias in ADHD boys' self-p erceptions.