Citation

Ilieva IP, Farah MJ. J. Atten. Disord. 2015; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1087054715591849

PMID

26290484

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Despite the limited effectiveness of ADHD medications on healthy cognition, prescription stimulants' cognitive enhancement use is increasing. This article examines enhancement users' attention, motivation, and study habits.

METHOD: A total of 61 users of unprescribed stimulants and 67 controls (no history of prescription stimulant use) completed tests of objectively measured and subjectively reported attention. Self-reports on study habits, as well as motivation during laboratory attention testing, were also administered.

RESULTS: Our data replicated previous findings of relatively lower self-reported attention functioning in users. Extending past research, we showed that user-control differences in attention were still present but less pronounced on objective measures than on self-report. In addition, we obtained evidence of lower motivation during cognitive testing and less optimal study habits among users, as compared with their non-using peers.

CONCLUSION: Unprescribed stimulant use is more strongly related to compromised study habits, low motivation, and a subjective perception of attention problems than to objective attention performance.

Language: en