A Comparison of Girls and Boys With Teacher-identified Problems of Attention

Abstract

Previous research has consistently reported that inattentive behaviors are more common in boys than girls. In this study, inattentive boys and girls were selected by reference to the same-sex distributions of teacher ratings of inattentive behaviors at ages 9 and 11 years. Relative to their attentive peers, the inattentive boys and girls showed the same pattern of deficits on measures of IQ, verbal comprehension, reading, spelling, speech articulation, and tapping speed. They also showed the same history of behavior problems during their first year at school. The findings indicate that problems relating to inattention are equally prevalent in both sexes and the associated cognitive features are the same for boys and girls. © 1987, The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. All rights reserved.