Does childhood positive self-perceptual bias mediate adolescent risky behavior in youth from the MTA study?

Abstract

Objective: This study's primary aim was to examine whether the positive self-perceptual bias present in many youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Hoza et al., 2004; Hoza, Pelham, Dobbs, Owens, & Pillow, 2002) mediates the relation of childhood ADHD status to later risky behaviors.

Method: Using a subset of children with ADHD and comparison children (n = 645) from the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children With ADHD, we predicted that a positive bias in childhood would partially or fully mediate the relation between having ADHD and risky driving and sexual behaviors 8 years later.

Results: Results strongly supported this hypothesis for risky driving behavior but only provided limited support for risky sexual behavior.

Conclusions: Taken together, findings suggest that future research should explore whether self-perceptual bias may be a useful target of intervention for children with ADHD.

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Figures

Figure 1

Hypothesized Model

Figure 2

Path model predicting driving illegally frequency Note. PB= positive bias; standardized coefficients are reported. The effect of ADHD on driving illegally frequency without PB included in the model is reported above the line (path C) and with PB included is reported below the line (path C’). Estimated childhood IQ, maternal-rated conduct disorder symptoms, and age at Time 2 were included as covariates; n=604; *p<.05>

Figure 3

Path model predicting traffic violation frequency Note. PB= positive bias; standardized coefficients are reported. The effect of ADHD on traffic violation frequency without PB included in the model is reported above the line (path C) and with PB included is reported below the line (path C’). Estimated childhood IQ, maternal-rated conduct disorder symptoms, and age at Time 2 were included as covariates; n=510; *p<.05>

Figure 4

Path model predicating the likelihood of having one’s license/permit suspended/revoked Note. PB= positive bias; standardized coefficients are reported. The effect of ADHD on license/permit suspended/revoked (1= yes; 0 = no) without PB included in the model is reported above the line (path C) and with PB included is reported below the line (path C’). Estimated childhood IQ, maternal-rated conduct disorder symptoms, and age at Time 2 were included as covariates; n=425; *p<.05>

Figure 5

Path model predicting the choice to be sexually active Note. PB= positive bias; standardized coefficients are reported. The effect of ADHD on ever had sex (1= yes; 0= no) without PB included in the model is reported above the line (path C) and with PB included is reported below the line (path C’). Estimated childhood IQ, maternal-rated conduct disorder symptoms, and age at Time 2 were included as covariates; n=406; *p<.05>

Figure 6

Path model predicting the number of lifetime sexual partners Note. PB= positive bias; standardized coefficients are reported. The effect of ADHD on the number of lifetime partners without PB included in the model is reported above the line (path C) and with PB included is reported below the line (path C’). Estimated childhood IQ, maternal-rated conduct disorder symptoms, and age at Time 2 were included as covariates; n=287; *p<.05>

Figure 7

Path model predicting condom use Note. PB= positive bias; standardized coefficients are reported. The effect of ADHD on failure to always use condoms (fails to always use = 1 and always uses condoms = 0) without PB included in the model is reported above the line (path C) and with PB included is reported below the line (path C’). Estimated childhood IQ, maternal-rated conduct disorder symptoms, and age at Time 2 were included as covariates; n=287; *p<.05>

Figure 8

Path model predicting age at first intercourse Note. PB= positive bias; standardized coefficients are reported. The effect of ADHD on age at first intercourse without PB included in the model is reported above the line (path C) and with PB included is reported below the line (path C’). Estimated childhood IQ, maternal-rated conduct disorder symptoms, and age at Time 2 were included as covariates; n=287; +p<.1>