Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Adhd In Children

ADHD can be defined as an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD can be characterized as having symptoms which include but are not limited to inadvertance, impetuous, and hyperactivity (White and Shah, 2010). Although based on many studies it has been proven that people who have been diagnosed with ADHD will more than likely be brilliant when it comes to thinking outside the box, and being creative. One study showed that people with ADHD tend to think dissimilar to an average person who doesn’t have ADHD (White and Shah,2006). Although researchers wanted to make sure that the creative thinking style of those with ADHD, was not just based on research from the lab. Researchers wanted to test real life adults with ADHD in several different experiments. The experiments to test those adults with ADHD would be by using the creativity achievement questionnaire, the four sight thinking profile, and the abbreviated torrance test of creativity for adults. These three experiments would test adult creativity in real world situations. (White and Shah, 2010).

Now when comparing those with ADHD, we must remember that compared to the average person, who has a more controlled and standard thought process. People with ADHD have a much lower sense of control. Which makes it easier for them to think freely and openly. So for example, when an adult with ADHD is given the task to complete a test it is much harder for them to focus on one topic. This would be considered convergent thinking. Although when adults with ADHD are given the task to come up with ideas for a project, people with ADHD are more likely to perform better and come up with brilliant ideas. This type of thinking would be considered divergent thinking. (White, and Shah 2010). Overall, people with ADHD tend to think differently based on the task they are completing. The two types of thinking strategies are divergent thinking and convergent thinking.(White and Shah, 2010).

Now let’s discuss each of the different experiments conducted to test the creativity of those with ADHD. 1.) The creativity questionnaire, is a tool that examines the creativity aspect of a person in many different areas. Drama, humor, music, visual arts, creative writing, invention, scientific discovery, culinary arts, dance, and architecture. (White and Shah, 2010). Now some people taking the creativity questionnaire may have experience, training, or background in those multiple different areas, the creativity questionnaire doesn’t take that as a high indication of accomplishment. The creativity questionnaire is responsive to the behavior responses of individuals also known as inhibitory control.

The next experiment would be four sight thinking profile. The four sight thinking profile is an experiment that is based on self evaluation. The four sight thinking profile evaluates what kind of creative thinker you are. There are 4 creative thinking styles; clarifier, ideator, developer, and implementer (White and Shah, 2010). The clarifier would be defined as someone who is stern, structured, established, and traditional. The ideator can be characterized as a someone who creates ideas, essentially a theorist, intellectual, and a mastermind. The developer can be defined as someone who likes to improve ideas. Characteristics would be researchist, planner, and perfectionist. Lastly the implementers can be defined as the person who takes ideas in which have been touched up on, reviewed, or tweaked and puts those reviewed ideas into the final product. Characteristics for implementers would be organizer, driving force, and a negotiator. Based on research it has been proven that the developmental aspect of problem solving stand in need of convergent thinking, while on the other hand, divergent thinking requires deliberation (White and Shah, 2010). Based on this research it would easily be predictable that adults who don’t have ADHD, would be under the clarifier, four sight thinking profile. The explanation would be because a clarifier is someone who thinks structuredly, people who do not have ADHD think more structured. They do not have tons and tons of thoughts going in and out of their brain. While people with ADHD, do in fact have tons of thoughts going through their brain, and find it hard to focus on one topic therefore putting them under the ideator. Because an ideator is someone who is constantly coming up with new ideas. 3.) The last experimental method used was comparing those with ADHD and those without ADHD under the abbreviated torrance test. The abbreviated torrance test is a way of testing divergent creative thinking. It’s predicated that adults with ADHD would score higher than those without ADHD.

In addition, let’s discuss the participants that were chosen for the experiment. The participants chosen were all from a psychology class at the University of Memphis. 60 undergraduate students in total were chosen. Those with ADHD, were the independent variable group counted in total to be 13 females and 17 males. The Non ADHD participants, also known as the control group added up to 14 males and 16 females. Now out of the independent variable group of ADHD, 15 participants were talking stimulant medication for ADHD. (White and Shah, 2010). Now let’s discuss how each participant was chosen, a survey was administered to 600 students, the survey contained information from barkley and murphy’s symptom scale. Out of the 600 students, 37 reported a diagnosis of ADHD, and 34 of the reported ADHD participants, participated in the study. Towards the end of the study four participants were removed from the study based on other learning disabilities. (White and Shah, 2010).

Let's discuss the results and goals of the creativity achievement questionnaire, the four sight thinking profile, and the abbreviated torrance test of creativity for adults. Now the goal of this research was to test the creativity of adults with ADHD, not only in a laboratory setting but in real world situations. Based on the results conducted from the experiments it was found that adults with ADHD, had a much higher creativity level than those without attention ADHD. Furthermore, let’s discuss additional information that was concluded based on research. People with ADHD, tend to think in the style of an ideator.