ADHD boys' performance and attributions following success and failure: Drug effects and individual differences

In a previous study, Milich, Carlson, Pelham, and Licht (1991) reported that, compared to placebo, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) boys on methylphenidate (MPH) showed greater persistence following exposure to insolvable tasks, and were more likely to attribute success to internal causes and blame failure on external causes. The current study, using the same task, provided evidence for the salutary effects of MPH on the performance and perceptions of ADHD boys following both solvable and insolvable puzzles and found that subjects exposed to insolvable puzzles showed greater persistence on a subsequent generalization task when receiving MPH as compared to placebo. In addition, a measure of attributional style predicted performance on the task, but not attributions for task-performance. Finally, the current study found no differences between placebo and a no pill condition, thus extending the results of Milich et al. (1991) by demonstrating that treatment effects on performance and self-rating measures were directly related to receiving active medication.This study was conducted during the 1990 Summer Treatment Program (STP) conducted by the Attention Deficit Disorder Program at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. We thank WPIC for its support, as well as the ADD and STP program staffs for their helpful cooperation, particularly Gary Vallano, and Mary Vodde-Hamilton. During this research, the first author was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH46754). The second author was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH48157), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA06267), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA05605). The fourth author was supported in part by grants from the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic Mental Health Clinical Research Center (MHCRC-R181), and the National Institute of Mental Health (MH48157 and MH47390).