A Comparative Study of Impulse Control and Metacognitive Thinking between Hyperactive and Normal Adolescents

Background: The significance of hyperactivity disorder lies in its widespread occurrence, its long-lasting effects, and how it affects the well-being of children and their families. Objectives: This study aims to analyze the differences in impulse control and metacognitive thinking among teenagers with hyperactivity and normal teenagers. Methods: This study was conducted as one of the case-control investigations. The research was carried out in Rasht City, Iran, between July and October 2023, focusing on teenagers with hyperactivity. The study involved purposefully choosing 139 teenage boys and girls, who were then divided into four groups according to their levels of hyperactivity. Data collection instruments included the Meta-Cognition Questionnaire-30 and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test in SPSS27 software. A significance level was considered at 0.05. Results: According to the research results, there was a significant difference in the mean of all variables among the four groups: girls with hyperactivity, girls without hyperactivity, boys with hyperactivity, and boys without hyperactivity (P 0.001). The only variable where the difference between the groups was not significant was unplanned impulsivity (P=0.108). Hence, it can be inferred that both groups displayed unplanned impulsivity. Conclusion: The findings revealed that teenagers with hyperactivity, positive beliefs, cognitive uncertainty, and the need to control thoughts exhibited higher levels of impulsivity when compared to their peers. However, their positive beliefs and cognitive self-consciousness processes were not as developed as those of typical adolescents.