Sustained Attention Outcomes of ADHD Traits and Typically Developing Participants

Recent analyses into the prevalence of ADHD illustrate the connection between ADHD traits and eye movements. This present study explored the differences between people with ADHD traits (PWADHD) and typically developing (TD) participants in sustained attention by measuring the number of saccades (NOS), number of fixations (NOF) and fixation duration (FD). Individuals with ADHD traits (n = 17) or without (n = 13) were examined. A saccade task and antisaccade task were utilised through a VR-created environment, designed to imitate an urban setting. The saccade task required participants to look directly at a provided stimulus, whereas the antisaccade required participants to look in the opposite direction. This experiment imitated Munoz's 2003 study and aimed to assess whether there is a link between ADHD traits and eye movements, as well as outline the higher levels of hyperactivity and lower levels of inattention exhibited by the ADHD group when compared to the control group. Results revealed that PWADHD showed greater hyperactivity and lower attention, supporting the hypothesis outlined above. The findings suggested that measures of eye movement can be used as indicators for ADHD traits, and propose the continued use of innovative VR software in future experiments.

Keywords: Behavioural and social sciences; cognitive psychology; ADHD traits; saccades; fixation duration