Barkley’s Model To Explain ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a childhood disorder. Several attempts have been made to explain its origin and development. However, one of them has attracted a lot of attention: Barkley’s model.
This condition is characterized by a persistent pattern of distracted behavior, excessive activity, and difficulty controlling impulses or impulsivity. It is therefore one of the most studied disorders in child psychopathology. As a result, thousands of articles have been published on the subject.
In the beginning, these articles had a medical approach. Then behavioral, neurocognitive, genetic and social approaches appeared. This has enriched our understanding of this disorder.
However, the most common approach in the first half of the last century was purely medical. Experts believed that a neurological disorder led to ADHD. In other words, a certain kind of brain injury caused a change in the brain.
The main symptoms of the disorder were then described as poor concentration, high impulsivity and an inability to delay gratification. They all expressed themselves in school-related issues.
From the medical model to the behavioral model
The lack of evidence of the medical syndrome contributed to the search for a more functional definition of ADHD. For example, experts began to characterize ADHD as a conduct disorder. According to this approach, excessive activity was the most notable aspect.
In 1972, however, certain scientists argued that the fundamental flaw of hyperactive children was not their excessive activity.
Rather, the main problem was their inability to pay attention for a long time and their impulsiveness. Most of the problems that children with ADHD experience are the result of insufficient self-control.
The current view on ADHD
The current view of ADHD is reflected in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). We can also find it in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases.
The main feature of this condition is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity. The resulting symptoms make adaptation difficult and manifest in specific behavioral traits.
They have a negative impact on cognitive, personal and social development. In addition, they hinder learning at school and the person’s daily functioning.
Barkley’s model
Research into the development of ADHD is mainly abstract, explorative and descriptive in nature. Despite the progress, there are still significant inconsistencies in the underlying mechanisms.
Barkley’s model states that the basic problem of hyperactive children is a behavioral disorder. This deficiency would negatively affect four neuropsychological functions that depend on behavioral inhibition for their regulation.
The Four Functions of Barkley’s Model
The four functions are:
- random access memory
- self-regulation of affect, motivation and arousal
- internalization of speech
- reconstruction (behavioral analysis and synthesis)
These executive functions also influence the motor system, which regulates goal-directed behavior. These functions also affect other neuropsychological systems, such as the following systems:
- sensory
- perceptual
- linguist
- mnemonic
- emotional
Working memory (operational memory) allows you to store information while working on a task, even if the stimulus has disappeared.
Due to the lack of self-regulation of affect, motivation, and arousal, children with ADHD are unable to regulate emotional responses to a particular event. According to Barkley’s model, as a result, they express their emotions in public.
These children may also have problems with the internalization of speech. This lack of maturity when it comes to speech can cause difficulties in adopting appropriate behavior. It can also cause a delay in moral development.
Less mature and less creative behavior while playing
The lack of reconstruction, behavioral analysis and synthesis prevents the hyperactive child from analyzing situations and behavior. It also hinders their problem-solving abilities. Their play behavior is less mature, less symbolic and less creative.
Experts have found that they have poorer performance when it comes to verbal fluency and that the answers they give to the problems are less appropriate.
According to Barkley’s model, this would probably also be apparent when performing non-verbal tasks that require novel and complex motor sequences. These four executive functions are said to affect the motor system.
Other models have also attempted to explain ADHD. Despite changes in terminology and emphasis over time on specific manifestations of ADHD, the main symptoms of ADHD have barely changed.
