Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
Home> Volumes> Volume CHR Vol.55> Article
Research Article

The Effect of Working Memory Deficits on Academic Performances among Children with ADHD

Huasheng LiuSendelta International Academy*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

This literature review focuses on the effect of working memory deficits on academic performance in children with ADHD. Many research studies cover the basic aspects of ADHD’s impact on both working memory and school performance. However, many neglect the variance in academic performances that are affected. For example, many researchers have neglected the effects of ADHD on standardized testing. Many also conclude with biased experimental results that have been proven inaccurate. Many of the studies this literature review covers contain information from the past 20 years. ADHD is usually associated with a deficit in working memory. This leads to lower academic performances (SAT and standardized testing, especially in reading and math) compared to neurotypical children. This literature review can contribute to ADHD’s development on an academic path, giving notice to parents and teachers for extra care and accommodations for children with ADHD. Increasing social awareness and emphasis on ADHD intervention and education is part of the goal of this review. Furthermore, it is recommended to research and experiment with larger samples from diverse cultures for a deeper understanding of this topic.

Keywords: ADHD; working memory deficit; school performances
Published: March 7, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2024.21250
Volume: CHR Vol.55
pp. 42-49
Download PDF

References

  1. Arnold, L. Eugene, Paul Hodgkins, Jennifer Kahle, Manisha Madhoo, and Geoff Kewley. "Long-term outcomes of ADHD: academic achievement and performance." Journal of Attention Disorders 24, no. 1 (2020): 73-85.
  2. Simon, Herbert Alexander. "Information processing models of cognition." Annual Review of Psychology 30, no. 1 (1979): 363-396.
  3. Fosco, Whitney D., Michael J. Kofler, Nicole B. Groves, Elizabeth SM Chan, and Joseph S. Raiker. "Which ‘working’ components of working memory aren’t working in youth with ADHD?." Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 48 (2020): 647-660.
  4. Oberauer, Klaus. "Working memory and attention–A conceptual analysis and review." Journal of Cognition 2, no. 1 (2019).
  5. Andersson, Ulf. "Working memory as a predictor of written arithmetical skills in children: The importance of central executive functions." British Journal of Educational Psychology 78, no. 2 (2008): 181-203.
  6. Logie, Robert H., and Clelia Marchetti. "Visuo-spatial working memory: Visual, spatial or central executive?." In Advances in psychology, vol. 80, pp. 105-115. North-Holland, 1991.
  7. Van de Weijer-Bergsma, Eva, Evelyn H. Kroesbergen, and Johannes EH Van Luit. "Verbal and visual-spatial working memory and mathematical ability in different domains throughout primary school." Memory & cognition 43 (2015): 367-378.
  8. Redick, Thomas S., and Dakota RB Lindsey. "Complex span and n-back measures of working memory: A meta-analysis." Psychonomic bulletin & review 20 (2013): 1102-1113.
  9. Meule, Adrian. "Reporting and interpreting working memory performance in n-back tasks." Frontiers in psychology 8 (2017): 352.
  10. Wen, Zhisheng, Mark Feng Teng, Lili Han, and Yong Zeng. "Working memory models and measures in language and bilingualism research: Integrating cognitive and affective perspectives." Brain Sciences 12, no. 6 (2022): 729.
  11. Condo, Jaida S., Elizabeth SM Chan, and Michael J. Kofler. "Examining the effects of ADHD symptoms and parental involvement on children’s academic achievement." Research in developmental disabilities 122 (2022): 104156.
  12. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1994.
  13. Shebl, Eman M., Noha M. Abu Bakr Elsaid, Hend A. Hassan, Doaa Kamal, and Eman Araby. "Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in Egyptian medical students and how it relates to their academic performance." Journal of Family and Community Medicine 30, no. 4 (2023): 287-294.
  14. Bruchmüller, Katrin, Jürgen Margraf, and Silvia Schneider. "Is ADHD diagnosed in accord with diagnostic criteria? Overdiagnosis and influence of client gender on diagnosis." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 80, no. 1 (2012): 128.
  15. As, Rowland. "The epidemiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a public health view." Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev. 8 (2002): 162-170.
  16. Soares, Pedro San Martin, Paula Duarte de Oliveira, Fernando César Wehrmeister, Ana Maria Baptista Menezes, Luis Augusto Rohde, and Helen Gonçalves. "Does IQ Influence Association Between Working Memory and ADHD Symptoms in Young Adults?." Journal of Attention Disorders 26, no. 8 (2022): 1097-1105.
  17. Roman-Urrestarazu, Andres, Päivi Lindholm, Irma Moilanen, Vesa Kiviniemi, Jouko Miettunen, Erika Jääskeläinen, Pirjo Mäki et al. "Brain structural deficits and working memory fMRI dysfunction in young adults who were diagnosed with ADHD in adolescence." European child & adolescent psychiatry 25 (2016): 529-538.
  18. Miranda, Ana, Jessica Mercader, M. Inmaculada Fernández, and Carla Colomer. "Reading performance of young adults with ADHD diagnosed in childhood: Relations with executive functioning." Journal of Attention Disorders 21, no. 4 (2017): 294-304.
  19. Gremillion, Monica L, Tess E Smith, and Michelle M Martel. . “Verbal Working Memory as a Longitudinal Mechanism of Vocabulary Problems in Preschoolers with ADHD.” 2018 J Psychopathol Behav Assess ; ISSN:0882-2689 ; Volume:40 ; Issue:1.
  20. Creelman, KeriLyn. "A literature review of understanding and supporting students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the classroom." Northwest Journal of Teacher Education 16, no. 1 (2021): 3.
  21. Trane, Francesca E., and Erik G. Willcutt. "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Academic Functioning: Reading, Writing, and Math Abilities in a Community Sample of Youth with and without ADHD." Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology 51, no. 4 (2023): 583-596.