Links between categorical classification and executive functioning in children with ADHD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32870/dse.v0i32.1593Abstract
This paper addresses the links between categorization and executive functioning. Both constructs are integrated by different processes that involve abstraction skills as well as planning and organization of behavior, generally in the context of problem solving. In parallel, we will also address Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) because of its close relationship with executive functioning. We worked with a population of children with ADHD, who were previously diagnosed with an ADHD identification questionnaire and profiled with executive functioning tasks. As a counterpart, a group without ADHD was evaluated. Both groups were given a Free Classification task, and their results were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results indicate that children with ADHD show lower performance in abstraction tasks, correlating with some executive functioning tasks. Our conclusions point to the presence of difficulties in semantic and visual aspects that imply a slowing of concept learning, identification and nomination. Likewise, we believe that ADHD plays an important role in categorical classification tasks, both for the attentional and behavioral aspects involved, as well as for the abstraction difficulties that this entails.Downloads
References
American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5 (Fifth edition). USA: American Psychiatric Association. https://repository.poltekkes-kaltim.ac.id/657/1/Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders _ DSM-5 ( PDFDrive.com ).pdf
Ardila, A.; M. Roselli (2007). Neuropsicología clínica. México: Manual Moderno.
Asociación Psiquiátrica Americana (1995). Manual diagnóstico y estadístico de los trastornos mentales. España: Editorial Masson. https://www.eafit.edu.co/ninos/reddelaspreguntas/Documents/dsm-iv-manual-diagnostico-estadistico-trastornos-mentales.pdf
Baron, I. (2004). Neuropsychologic Evaluation of the Child. USA: Oxford University Press.
Barrios, O. (2006). El TDAH en niños de 1º a 6º de Escuela Primaria Pública de la Ciudad de Guadalajara. Tesis de Maestría. México: Universidad de Guadalajara.
Best, C.; H. Yim; V. Sloutsky (2013). The Cost of Selective Attention in Category Learning: Developmental Differences between Adults and Infants. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 116(2), 105-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2013.05.002
Bruner, J.; A. Goodnow; G. Austin (1986). A Study of Thinking. USA: Transaction Publishers.
Castaldi, E.; M. Piazza; T. Iuculano (2020). Learning Disabilities: Developmental Dyscalculia. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 174, 61-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-64148-9.00005-3
Deng, W.; V. Sloutsky (2016). Selective Attention, Diffused Attention, and the Development of Categorization. Cognitive Psychology, 91, 24-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogpsych.2016.09.002
Diamond, A. (2013). Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135-168. https://doi.org/ 10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750
Diamond, A. (2020). Executive Functions. In A. Gallagher, A.; C. Bulteau; D. Cohen; J.L. Michaud (eds). Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Neurocognitive Development: Normative Development. (173), 225-240. Elsevier. https://doi.org/ /10.1016/B978-0-444-64150-2.00020-4
Fayol, M. (2022). L’acquisition du nombre (Quatrième édition mise à jour). France: Presses universitaires de France-Humensis. https://www-cairn-info.ezproxy.usherbrooke.ca/l-acquisition-du-nombre--9782715411098.htm
Huang-Pollock, C.; W. Maddox; H. Tam (2014). Rule-based and Information-Integration Perceptual Category Learning in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Neuropsychology, 28(4), 594-604. https://doi.org/10.1037/neu0000075
Karbach, J.; K. Unger (2014). Executive Control Training from Middle Childhood to Adolescence. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(487) 323-337. https://doi.org/ 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00390
Kleiber, G, (1990). La semántica de los prototipos. Categoría y sentido léxico. España: Editorial Visor Libros.
Lezak, M.; D. Howieson; E. Bigler; D. Tranel (2012). Neuropsychological Assessment. New York: Oxford University Press.
López, G.; L. Gómez; D. Aguirre; I. Puerta; D. Pineda (2005). Componentes de las pruebas de atención y función ejecutiva en niños con trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad. Revista de Neurología, 40(06), 331. https://doi.org/10.33588/rn.4006.2004368
Luria, A. (1995). Conciencia y lenguaje. España: Editorial Visor.
Luria, A. (1987). Desarrollo histórico de los procesos cognitivos. España: Ediciones Akal.
Maguire, M.; J. White; M. Brier (2011). How Semantic Categorization Influences Inhibitory Processing in Middle-Childhood: An Event Related Potentials Study. Brain and Cognition, 76(1), 77–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2011.02.015
Martínez, N.; E. Albaladejo; J. Espín; M. Güerre; J. Sánchez; J. Jiménez (2015). Etiología y patogenia del trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH). Revista Española de Pediatría, 71(2), 62-68. https://www.seinap.es/wp-content/uploads/Revista-de-Pediatria/2015/REP 71-2.pdf
Matute, E.; M. Roselli; A. Ardila; F. Ostrosky-Solís (2007). Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil-ENI. México: Editorial Manual-Moderno.
Miotto, E.; J. Balardin; M. Martin; G. Polanczyk; C. Savage; E. Miguel; M. Batistuzzo; K. Nakahara (2020). Effects of Semantic Categorization Strategy Training on Episodic Memory in Children and Adolescents. Plos One, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228866
Owen, K.; C. Barnes (2021). The Development of Categorization in Early Childhood: A Review. Early Child Development and Care, 191(1), 13-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2019.1608193
Pelaz, A.; A. Autet (2015). Epidemiología, diagnóstico, tratamiento e impacto del trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad. Revista Española de Pediatría, 71(2), 57-98. https://www.seinap.es/wp-content/uploads/Revista-de-Pediatria/2015/REP 71-2.pdf
Quintanar, L.; A. Hernández; M. Bonilla; A. Sánchez; I. Solovieva (2001). La función reguladora del lenguaje. Revista Latina de Pensamiento y Lenguaje 9 (2), 164-180. https://www.academia.edu/2413412/LA_FUNCION_REGULADORA_DEL_LENGUAJE_EN_NIÑOS_CON_DEFICIT_DE_ATENCION
Quintero, J.; C. Castaño (2014). Introducción y etiopatogenia del trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH). Pediatría Integral, 18(9), 600-608. https://www.pediatriaintegral.es/wp-content/uploads/2014/xviii09/02/n9-600-608_Javier Quintero.pdf
Rabi, R.; JP. Minda (2014). Rule-Based Category Learning in Children: The Role of Age and Executive Functioning. Plos One, 1(9) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0085316
Rosch, E. (1978). Principles of Categorization. In Rosch, E.; B Lloyd. (eds.). Cognition and Categorization. USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associate, 27-48.
Salminen, J.; D. Khanolainen; T. Koponen; M. Torpa; M. Lerkannen (2021). Development of Numeracy and Literacy Skills in Early Childhood – a Longitudinal Study on the Roles of Home Environment and Familial Risk for Reading and Math Difficulties. Frontiers in Education 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.725337
Sattler, J. (1996). Evaluación infantil. México: Manual Moderno.
Semenov, A.; P. Zelazo (2018). The Development of Hot and Cool Executive Function. In Meltzer, L. (dir.). Executive Function in Education: From Theory to Practice. USA: Guilford Publications, 82-104.
Solovieva, Y.; L. Quintanar; D. Flores (2002). Programa de corrección neuropsicológica del déficit de atención. Puebla: Ediciones de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla.
Solovieva, Y.; O. Torrado; L. Maravilla; X. Rivas (2017). Análisis neuropsicológico diferencial en dos casos diagnosticados con TDAH. Informes Psicológicos, 17(1), 121-141. https://doi.org/10.18566/infpsic.v17n1a07
Soveri, A.; O. Waris; M. Laine; B. Rypma. (2013). Set Shifting Training with Categorization Tasks. Plos One, 8(12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0081693
Storer, J.; S. Evans; J. Langberg (2014). Organization Interventions for Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In Weist, M.; N. Lever; C. Bradshaw; J. Owens (eds.). Handbook of School Mental Health: Research, Training, Practice, and Policy Health. USA: Springer eBooks, 385-398. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4614-7624-5_28
Vigo, R.; S. Evans; J. Owens (2015). Categorization Behaviour in Adults, Adolescents, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Adolescents: A Comparative Investigation. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006), 68(6), 1058-1072. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2014.974625
Vogels, R.; G. Sary; P. Dupont; G. Orban (2002). Human Brain Regions Involved in Visual Categorization. NeuroImage, 16(2), 401-414. https://doi:10.1006/nimg.2002.1109
Wan, Q.; V. Sloutsky (2024). Exploration, Distributed Attention, and Development of Category Learning. Psychological Science, 35(10), 1164-1177. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976241258146
Zelazo, P.; C. Blair; M. Willoughby (2016). Executive Function: Implications for Education. NCER 2017-2000. National Center for Education Research. USA: Institute of Education Sciences. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED570880.pdf
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Universidad de Guadalajara
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Once a manuscript is accepted for publication in the journal, its author(s) must sign a letter transferring the editorial rights to the University of Guadalajara for the editing, publication and dissemination of the paper. After being notified of its publication, the author(s) will be sent a letter of transfer of rights which must be signed and sent back to the journal’s editor.
