engleski

Gender as Moderator and Age as Mediator Variables in Prediction of School Adjustment by Symptoms of ADHD

Studies have shown gender differences in symptoms of ADHD, especially meaning that boys have 4 times more often diagnosed ADHD than girls. However, in adulthood there is no gender difference in prevalence of diagnosed ADHD. For boys the identification period is at the beginning of primary school (because of predominant symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity) and for girls identification period is at higher classes of primary school (usually 6th, because of predominant symptoms of inattention, which at that time significantly disrupts students’ school success). The aim of the research was to examine the moderating role of gender in prediction of school adjustment by symptoms of ADHD (hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention) and the mediating role of age in same prediction. The study included 501 students from the 4th, 6th and 8th grade of primary school, of which 50.7% were boys and the average age was M=12.72 (sd=1.62). They completed Hyperactivity-impulsivity-attention Scale (HIP, Vulić-Prtorić, 2006), Self-efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C, Vulić- Prtorić i Solić, 2006) and were given some general information. Gender had moderating role only for school success, meaning that, for boys, greater symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention are better predictors of school success. Age had full mediating role for symptoms of hyperactivity and school success (i.e. as the students’ age increases, there is no correlation between hyperactivity and school success) and partial mediating role for symptoms of inattention and both measures of school adjustment (i.e. as the students’ age increases the correlation between symptoms of inattention and academic self-efficacy and school success become weaker).

ADHD, school adjustment, age, gender

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