Physiological Implications of Exclusion in Individuals With ADHD Symptomatology

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Rejection sensitivity, the tendency to anxiously expect, perceive, or intensely react to social rejection, is notably prevalent in those with ADHD. We investigated the physiological responses of individuals with ADHD symptomatology during a social exclusion task. Participants (N = 60, ages 18–38; 26.7% men, 73.3% women) self-reported ADHD symptoms and completed a Go/No-Go task to objectively assess attention and impulsivity. In this task, participants responded to “Go” stimuli (attention) and withheld responses to “No-Go” stimuli (impulsivity). Social exclusion was manipulated using the Cyberball task, during which heart rate (BPM) was measured via electrocardiogram (ECG). To indirectly measure rejection sensitivity, social threat perception was assessed using the Need-Threat Scale (NTS) posttask. Contrary to previous literature, BPM decreased during the task and increased posttask, F(2, 114) = 13.30, p < .001, η² = .19, with no group differences in physiological responses during or after exclusion. Further, we found a negative association between NTS total scores (with scale indication) and ADHD symptoms, r(57) = –.44, p < .001, indicating lower basic need (higher perceived social threat) in those with more reported ADHD symptoms. These findings indicate heightened rejection sensitivity in individuals with ADHD symptoms but no corresponding physiological differences. Future research could explore stronger social exclusion manipulations and direct measures of rejection sensitivity to better understand these associations.