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ADHD Characteristics, Gender, and Their Relation to Sensory Profiles: A Dimensional Approach

McCreary, Alice (2022) ADHD Characteristics, Gender, and Their Relation to Sensory Profiles: A Dimensional Approach. Master thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Those who are diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been found to also have deviations with regards to sensory stimulus processing. Issues with sensory stimulus processing relate to an atypical approach to different stimulus processing and is also a main characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a disorder which shares a high level of comorbidity with ADHD but is often not controlled for when looking at ADHD specific populations. The current study aims to investigate to what extent characteristics of ADHD and differences in gender relate to different sensory profiles while controlling for autistic characteristics. The current study made use of a dimensional approach, in which members from the general population (N=224) were recruited to fill out a questionnaire. This questionnaire was created using the Autism Quotient questionnaire (AQ), the Connors’ Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS), and the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile-NL questionnaire (AASP-NL). The AASP-NL looks at four quadrants relating to one’s sensory profile (sensory sensitivity, sensation seeking, sensation avoiding, and low registration). After analysis findings show that, while controlling for ASD characteristics, ADHD characteristics were significantly and positively related to sensory sensitivity, sensation seeking, and low registration, but not to sensation avoiding. When controlling for ASD, women were shown to score significantly higher than men on sensory sensitivity, sensation seeking, and sensation avoiding, with women also showing higher scores than men on all four quadrants. Based on the current study the implication can be made that ADHD characteristics and gender significantly affect sensory stimulus processing, independent from comorbid ASD characteristics. Keywords: ADHD characteristics, Sensory Profiles, Gender, Sex differences, AASP-NL.

Item Type: Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name: Gaastra, G.F.
Degree programme: Psychology
Differentiation route: Clinical Neuropsychology (CN) [Master Psychology]
Date Deposited: 21 Jul 2022 11:58
Last Modified: 21 Jul 2022 11:58
URI: http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/1079

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