Do ADHD Symptoms, Executive Function, and Study Strategies Predict Temporal Reward Discounting in College Students with Varying Levels of ADHD Symptoms? A Pilot Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between temporal reward discounting and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in college students. Additionally, we examined whether temporal reward discounting was associated with executive functioning in daily life and with learning and study strategies in this group. Thirty-nine college students (19 with ADHD and 20 controls) participated after meeting criteria for ADHD or non-ADHD based on standardized assessment. Strong preferences for small immediate rewards were specifically associated with the ADHD symptom domain hyperactivity–impulsivity. Additionally, these preferences were associated with daily life executive function problems and with weak learning and study strategies. This suggests that steep temporal discounting may be a key mechanism playing a role in the daily life challenges that college students with ADHD symptoms face. If these findings are replicated in larger samples, then intervention strategies may profitably be developed to counteract this strong preference for small immediate rewards in college students with ADHD symptoms.

University students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a consensus statement from the UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN)

“…In a pilot study by Scheres and Solanto [193], steep TD was not only associated with combined type ADHD, specifically the hyperactivity-impulsivity symptom domain, but also with poor utilisation of learning and/or study skills. TD was therefore postulated to be an important target for EF interventions for university students with or without ADHD [193], more so for interventions that were designed to activate and sustain motivation to pursue a long-term goal for a reward, such as pursuing and completing a university degree [194]. Findings like this could be useful for enhancing the effectiveness of CBT based interventions for university students with ADHD like the ACCESS program, by for example, tailoring EF interventions to also target TD.…”

“…Temporal discounting (TD) describes how the subjective value of a reward significantly declines when the said reward is delayed [192]. In a pilot study by Scheres and Solanto [193], steep TD was not only associated with combined type ADHD, specifically the hyperactivity-impulsivity symptom domain, but also with poor utilisation of learning and/or study skills. TD was therefore postulated to be an important target for EF interventions for university students with or without ADHD [193], more so for interventions that were designed to activate and sustain motivation to pursue a long-term goal for a reward, such as pursuing and completing a university degree [194].…”

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Quick Delay Questionnaire (C-QDQ) and ecological characteristics of reward-delay impulsivity of adults with ADHD

“…This tendency is found across development, including in adulthood [ 9 , 12 , 13 ]. Such a pattern of choice between rewards is related to a range of negative outcomes, including criminality, substance use, and greater functional impairment, such as in time and money management [ 14 ] as well as in learning and study strategies [ 15 ].…”

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, Sensation-Seeking, and Sensory Modulation Dysfunction in Substance Use Disorder: A Cross Sectional Two-Group Comparative Study

“…The bidirectional link of substance use disorder (SUD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is widely described [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ], although its nature remains unclear [ 5 ]. ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattentive or hyperactive/impulsive behavior, or both [ 6 ], is associated with impairment in multiple life domains [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. A meta-analysis found that 23.1% of those seeking SUD treatment have ADHD [ 10 ].…”