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An investigation into selective learning abilities in normal and attentionally disordered children using the Kamin blocking paradigm
Author(s) -
Jones Steven H.,
Callias Maria,
Gray Jeffrey A.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
british journal of developmental psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 2044-835X
pISSN - 0261-510X
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-835x.1994.tb00641.x
Subject(s) - psychology , blocking (statistics) , developmental psychology , recall , cognition , association (psychology) , task (project management) , cognitive psychology , audiology , neuroscience , psychotherapist , medicine , statistics , mathematics , management , economics
Previous research is unclear about the ability of hyperactive subjects to engage in selective processing, although a failure in this system is a feature of the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; American Psychiatric Association, 1987). In the present study selective processing is tested, by means of a Kamin blocking task, in 60 normal and 20 ADHD children. The Kamin blocking effect was observed in both normal and ADHD male children. Female subjects (all of whom were normal children) failed to exhibit the Kamin blocking effect. Reports of incidental learning studies have indicated that hyperactive children process information in a more diffuse manner than controls. The present results indicate normal selective processing in hyperactive children. It is suggested that abnormalities in recall strategies, rather than information processing, may therefore explain incidental learning findings. The lack of blocking in female subjects was not expected, a possible reason for this is discussed, which can be tested by simple alterations to the current blocking task.