Chapter 40: Personality and ADHD

Personality and ADHD reviews research examining the consistent relationships between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and major temperament and personality theories, establishing that ADHD is associated with specific, identifiable profiles,. According to the DSM-IV criteria, ADHD is a prevalent childhood disorder characterized by symptoms categorized into Inattention (IA) and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity (HI) groups. The core conclusion across studies suggests that ADHD reflects an underlying inhibition deficit combined with elevated reactivity. Theories explaining ADHD deficits include those focusing on problems in response inhibition, higher-order cognitive functions, or state regulation deficits involving difficulties in effort allocation,. Findings across different models confirm this profile: the Five-Factor Model (FFM) indicates that 'pure' ADHD (without co-existing disorders) is characterized by high Neuroticism and low Conscientiousness. Low Conscientiousness is particularly linked to IA symptoms, while low Agreeableness tends to be characteristic of ADHD groups with high HI symptoms, often those with co-occurring externalizing disorders. Within Cloninger’s model, ADHD individuals typically demonstrate high novelty seeking and low persistence, and are also associated with low self-directedness,. Temperament studies utilizing Rothbart’s model reinforce these findings, linking ADHD positively to reactivity and negatively to effortful control,. While high reactivity and impulsivity are general features of externalizing disorders, low self-directedness and low Conscientiousness—which reflect poor organization and responsibility—are distinctive characteristics of ADHD, suggesting that treatment benefits from social learning strategies aimed at enhancing organization, diligence, and efficiency,. Conversely, Conduct Disorder (CD) is more strongly linked to low cooperation and low Agreeableness,. The personality profiles found generally support the response inhibition deficit theory. Additionally, the review supports the application of the spectrum model, suggesting that personality/temperament traits and ADHD may lie on a continuum and manifest from the same underlying systems, which neurobiologically involve imbalances in the dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems and exhibit high heritability,.