Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to investigate the effects of a self-paced digital working memory (WM) intervention on preschoolers with ADHD symptoms and explore the relation between WM and time perception (TP) through a randomized controlled trial.
Method
Fifty preschoolers between four-to-six years of age (M = 4.93 years) were randomly assigned to three groups: a WM training group (WM; n = 14), a social-emotional (SE) training active control group (n = 15), and a waitlist control group (n = 21). Both the WM and SE groups received fifteen 10-min self-paced digital training sessions over five consecutive weeks.
Results
The digital WM training was effective in improving children’s digit span performance compared to the waitlist control group only. Within-group comparisons across two time points indicated a near-significant improvement in numeration and trends of reduced ADHD symptoms and improved TP tasks in the WM group at the post-test, but between-group differences were not observed.
Conclusion
The study showed limited effects of the WM training on preschoolers displaying ADHD symptoms. However, the results implied an association between working memory and time perception that awaits further investigation.
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Data Availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, K. K. M. Shum, upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the parents and children who participated in this study, as well as those who have provided assistance in this project.
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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
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K. K. M. Shum and Q. Zheng declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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Zheng, Q., Shum, K.Km. Brief Report: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Digital Working Memory Intervention for Preschoolers Displaying ADHD Symptoms. J Autism Dev Disord (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-06213-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-06213-1