ADHD and its Relationship with Impulsivity and Delay of Gratification in Terms of Reward Seeking

Abstract ADHD is one of the most common disorders in the world with a prevalence rate between 8-12%. Previous research has shown potential struggles for those with ADHD when it comes to being able to delay their behaviors in multiple facets of their lives. These studies have investigated their ability to fulfill waiting periods in both physical and technology based tasks, as well as incorporating impulsivity levels into the mix. The present study utilized a self-report survey to measure participants' risk for ADHD (ASRS), and placed them into a high risk or low risk category based on their scores. These two groups were evaluated on their impulsivity levels (BIS-11), ability to delay gratification (DGI-35), number of comorbidities, and average daily screen time, all via self-report. Utilizing independent-samples t-tests it was found that as hypothesized, participants in the high risk of ADHD group expressed worse ability to delay gratification, as well as higher screen time. Going against the hypotheses, there were no statistically significant differences between high risk and low risk in terms of impulsivity scores. No significant main effect was found in the number of comorbidities and ADHD risk groups when looking at impulsivity. The results show consistency with a multitude of previous research within this same domain, expressing the difficulties ADHD presents in terms of fulfilling waiting periods and achieving significant rewards. These findings provide support that ADHD influences decision making and show why it is critical to be understanding and patient of those with this condition, while trying to strengthen their ability to have a futuristic mindset about the decisions and choices they make. Keywords: ADHD, Delay Gratification, Impulsivity, & Screen time