Attributions for school success and failure by adolescent students with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

A study of possible differences in causal attributions between ADHD youth and non-ADHD controls is reported. 40 students (12 to 18 years of age), diagnosed with ADHD by a psychologist and a psychiatrist according to Conners' criteria were compared with healthy controls. Analyses confirmed that external attributions regarding luck were significantly higher for the ADHD group than for the 40 healthy controls. Implications of these findings for intervention in ADHD are discussed.