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Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Peer Functioning: a Transactional Model of Development

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Abstract

The goals of this short-term longitudinal study were to investigate differential, independent effects of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity on children’s peer relationships and the dynamic, transactional interplay between ADHD symptoms and indices of peer functioning over time. This study used a community sample that included 739 preadolescents (239 fourth graders and 500 fifth graders; 52.23 % boys) from northern Taiwan, who were assessed every six months at three time points. Children’s ADHD symptoms were measured using the parent report on the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, version IV scale. Positive and negative facets of peer functioning, including peer rejection, peer acceptance, and the number of friendships, were assessed via peer nomination. Results of cross-lagged models indicated that inattention, but not hyperactivity/impulsivity, predicted subsequent peer impairment (i.e., lower peer acceptance and fewer dyadic friendships). Findings also showed a vicious cycle in which inattentive symptoms predicted later peer impairment, which in turn led to increases in both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. These findings did not differ across gender, and the majority of the findings remained significant even after controlling for age and physical aggression. Taken together, this study demonstrated the detrimental effect of inattention on children’s peer functioning and the transactional and dynamic interplay between inattention and peer impairment in a Chinese culture.

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Notes

  1. The distribution of SES was slightly different from the overall population in Taiwan. In 2007, the education attainment distributions for overall population in Taiwan were 32.9 % for college and above, 32.7 % for senior high school and vocational, and 34.4 % for junior high and below. The nation-wide average of household income was $36,782.

  2. Including all three peer constructs simultaneously in one model resulted in poor model fit presumably because these three constructs were highly correlated with each other. Thus, separate models were tested.

  3. The residual covariances between Time 2 and Time 3 peer variables (i.e., rejection, acceptance, and the number of friendships) were also estimated based on modification indices.

  4. Physical aggression was assessed using peer nomination with three items “Hit or kick other peers,” “Initiate or get into physical fights with peers,” and “Threaten to hit or beat up other children” (Crick and Grotpeter 1995). Scores were standardized across classrooms. The range of physical aggression was -.96–4.48 at Time 1, -.80–4.57 at Time 2, and -.92–4.13 at Time 3.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the parents and children for their participation in this study.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Author Note

Wan-Ling Tseng, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA; Yoshito Kawabata, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA; Susan Shur-Fen Gau, Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Nicki R. Crick, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA.

Wan-Ling Tseng is now at the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.

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  1. Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA

    Wan-Ling Tseng, Yoshito Kawabata & Nicki R. Crick

  2. Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, 7 Chung-Shan Road, Taipei, 10002, Taiwan

    Susan Shur-Fen Gau

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Tseng, WL., Kawabata, Y., Gau, S.SF. et al. Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Peer Functioning: a Transactional Model of Development. J Abnorm Child Psychol 42, 1353–1365 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-014-9883-8

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