Is increased sensitivity to punishment a common characteristic of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder? An experimental study of response allocation in Japanese children

• DOI: 10.1007/s12402-019-00307-6
• Publication Date: 2019-05-16T09:20:56Z
• Authors: Emi Furukawa; Brent Alsop; Shizuka Shimabukuro; Gail Tripp
• Keywords: Punishment (psychology); Typically developing

Research on motivational processes in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) focuses reward. Studies with punishment are limited and findings mixed. This study evaluated the effects of response allocation Japanese children without ADHD. Thirty-four meeting DSM-IV criteria for ADHD 59 typically developing control-group completed an operant task which they choose between playing two simultaneously available games. Reward was arranged symmetrically across games under concurrent variable interval schedules. Asymmetric schedules were superimposed responses one game punished four times as often other. Children showed greater behavioral sensitivity to than controls. They allocated significantly more less frequently alternative likely play this consecutive trials responded slowly game. Control group their evenly Punishment exerted control over behavior controls, similar from Western countries, suggesting is a common characteristic disorder. The children, while demonstrating awareness punishment, not controlled by frequency its occurrence.