Updating memory in list-method directed forgetting: Individual differences related to Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The goal of the present study was to evaluate intentional forgetting in adults with characteristics of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Adults with characteristics of ADHD (n=72) showed a different pattern of recall and source discrimination than adults without characteristics of ADHD (n=72) in a task of list-method intentional forgetting. Specifically, participants in the Non-ADHD group demonstrated successful intentional forgetting and seemed to encode items using item-specific processing and relational processing. In contrast, participants in the ADHD group did not show intentional forgetting and seemed to engage in mostly item-specific processing during encoding. The results of this study are consistent with qualitative differences in intentional memory updating processes between individuals with and without characteristics of ADHD.