Investigating the Role of Attentional Bias or Selective Information Processing and Focus of Attention in Children with Conduct Disorder and Normal Children

Abstract

This research is a quasi-experimental and causal-comparative study, which has been conducted to compare the attentional bias or selective information processing and focus of attention in children with conduct disorder and normal children. Out of the children referring to psychiatric offices and Psychological Services Center in Neishabour, 50 children with conduct disorder (according to diagnostic interview based on DSM-IV and interview using KSADS) were selected through voluntary and available sampling. Normal sample was selected through multistage cluster sampling from among the school students of Neishabour City. Questionnaires on attentional bias, Stroop Test and Recognition test were applied for data collection. Data was analyzed in independent groups using t-test. The results indicated that there is a significant difference between children with conduct disorder and normal children in terms of attentional bias or selective information processing and focus of attention (p< 0.05).

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n3s3p143