Project ADHD
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
The project ADHD studied various aspects of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and self-regulation.
ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence. Affected children are inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive, which leads to manifold difficulties in school and social life. Furthermore, children and adolescents with ADHD show deficits in executive function – i.e. in inhibiting behaviors and reactions, or in switching flexibly between different tasks. Thus, their ability to self-regulate is restricted.
The project was founded in Constance in 2002 by Caterina Gawrilow and continued in Hamburg from 2005 to 2009. From April 2009 to September 2014 the project ADHD has been incorporated in the IDeA Center. The project ADHD focused mainly on two questions (1) Which competencies and deficits do children and adolescents with ADHD have? and (2) Can self-regulatory strategies be helpful to improve these deficits?
Selected Publications
Gawrilow, C. (2011). Self-regulation in children with ADHD: How if-then plans improve executive functions and delay of gratification in children with ADHD. The ADHD report, 19, 4–8. doi:10.1521/adhd.2011.19.6.4
Gawrilow, C., Gollwitzer, P. M., & Oettingen, G. (2011). If-then plans benefit delay of gratification performance in children with ADHD. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 35, 442–455. doi:10.1007/s10608-010-9309-z
Gawrilow, C., Morgenroth, K., Schultz, R., Oettingen, G., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2013). Mental contrasting with implementation intentions enhances self-regulation of goal pursuit in schoolchildren at risk for ADHD. Motivation and Emotion, 37, 134–145. doi:10.1007/s11031-012-9288-3