Working memory and math skills in children with and without ADHD
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2024
Abstract
Objective: Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently demonstrate deficits in working memory and in multiple domains of math skills, including underdeveloped problem-solving and computation skills. The Baddeley model of working memory posits a multicomponent system, including a domain-general central executive and two domain-specific subsystems—phonological short-term memory and visuospatial short-term memory. Extant literature indicates a strong link between neurocognitive deficits in working/short-term memory and math skills; however, the extent to which each component of working/short-term memory may account for this relation is unclear. Method: The present study was the first to use bifactor (S·I-1) modeling to examine relations between each working/short-term memory subcomponent (i.e., central executive, phonological short-term memory, and visuospatial short-term memory), ADHD symptoms, and math skills in a clinically evaluated sample of 186 children ages 8–13 (Myears = 10.40, SD = 1.49; 62 girls; 69% White/non-Hispanic). Results: Structural equation modeling indicated that all three working/short-term memory components exert a significant and approximately equal effect on latent math skills (β = .29–.50, all p < .05) and together explain 56% of the variance in children’s math achievement (R ² = .56). Exploratory analyses indicated that teacher-reported ADHD inattentive symptoms provided a small but significant contribution to predicting latent math skills (ΔR ² = .07) and accounted for 24% of the central executive/math association. Conclusions: These findings suggest that math difficulties in children with ADHD and clinically evaluated children without ADHD are associated, in large part, with their neurocognitive vulnerabilities in working/short-term memory and, to a lesser extent, overt ADHD symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
Recommended Citation
Gaye F, Groves NB, Chan ESM, Cole AM, Jaisle EM, Soto EF, Kofler MJ. Working memory and math skills in children with and without ADHD. Neuropsychology. 2024 Jan;38(1):1-16.