Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders and Healthy Aging

Strategic Insights -

Research at the University of Calgary has shed light on the relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and healthy aging. The study, funded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), investigated whether the positivity bias, a phenomenon where older adults tend to focus on positive aspects, manifests in individuals with lower levels of executive function, such as those with ADHD. The study found that older adults with ADHD exhibit a more positive relationship between executive dysfunction and affective valence during unintentional mind wandering, whereas younger adults showed the opposite pattern.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Calgary, examined the relationship between ADHD, healthy aging, and the positivity bias.
  • The research showed that older adults with ADHD exhibit a more positive relationship between executive dysfunction and affective valence during unintentional mind wandering.
  • The study found that younger adults with ADHD exhibit an opposite pattern, with a less positive relationship between executive dysfunction and affective valence during unintentional mind wandering.
  • The research concluded that the dynamic integration theory, which suggests that the positivity bias is subserved by bottom-up attentional processes, provides a more accurate account of the positivity bias than the socioemotional selectivity theory.
  • The study highlights the moderating effect of age on a complex relationship between executive dysfunction, momentary attentional state, and affective valence.
  • The research was funded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
  • The study was conducted by a team of researchers including Yudhajit Ain, Simrit Rai, Ann Galbraith, Julia W. Y. Kam, Brandy L. Callahan, and Jessica R. Andrews-Hanna.
  • The study was published in the journal Psychology and Aging.

Statistics:

  • The study recruited 101 adults (aged 19-79) with self-reported ADHD.
  • The study probed momentary attentional and affective states in daily life, six times daily for 7 days.
  • The study found that older adults with ADHD exhibited a more positive relationship between executive dysfunction and affective valence during unintentional mind wandering.
  • The study found that younger adults with ADHD exhibited an opposite pattern, with a less positive relationship between executive dysfunction and affective valence during unintentional mind wandering.
  • The study suggests that the positivity bias is subserved by bottom-up attentional processes, with a possible aging-related shift towards a more positive relationship.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Study Data from University of Calgary Update Knowledge of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders [A Wandering (Older) Mind Is a Happy Mind: Age Moderates the Combined Effects of Mind Wandering and Executive Function On Momentary Affective ...]. Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 27, 2025; p 1184.
  • A Wandering (Older) Mind Is a Happy Mind: Age Moderates the Combined Effects of Mind Wandering and Executive Function On Momentary Affective State. Psychology and Aging, 2025.