Cognitive Psych Unit 5 Discussion Questions PDF

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Chapter 5 Discussion: Paying Attention...

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1. What does ADHD stand for? How might ADHD be interpreted in terms of what you have learned about attention? ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. People who have ADHD are more impulsive and have a more difficult time focusing on a particular thing than those without ADHD. Along with that, those with ADHD tend to fidget quite frequently. Attention is the cognitive process of concentrating on specific information. While concentrating, one is able to ignore unimportant information such as background noise or other distracting things. People with ADHD have trouble concentrating on a specific thing and get easily distracted. This impulsivity, fidgeting, and trouble focusing makes it very difficult to do things such as sit down quietly and power through school school work or listen to a lecture. 2. What might be the neural mechanisms that allow a stimulant such as Ritalin to help young children who are considered "hyperactive"? Ritalin is used to help children who are considered “hyperactive” because it activates the inhibitory circuits in the brain, ultimately helping the child fight typical impulses that come from having ADHD. However, Ritalin should not be the only thing used to treat ADHD, as it has many side effects like weight loss, insomnia, anxiety, and stunted growth. To decrease hyperactivity in children, one method is to figure out what distracts the child, and reduce those distractions. By creating tools to cope with ADHD and reduce distractions in their life, children are working on treating their ADHD without taking medication with severe side effects.

3. Why do some researchers and educators consider the ADHD categorization to be problematic? This misdiagnosis can be problematic because medication is the main way to help relieve some effects of ADHD, so if a child is just simply energetic and does not actually have ADHD, it can have severe negative effects. Also, Ritalin has many side effects that can cause separate issues for the children taking the medication. Many researchers and educators believe that it is a good idea to focus on reducing sources of distractions to help with the ADHD before introducing the child to medication like Ritalin. ADHD can be easily misdiagnosed, sometimes to label children who are extremely energetic or don’t adjust to school like their peers....