Lecture note-taking in postsecondary students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine if there were differences in note-taking and test-taking in students with and without ADHD, and if there were, to examine the cognitive variables that might explain them. Participants included 22 postsecondary students with self-reported ADHD and 50 postsecondary student controls. Students took notes on a lecture, reviewed them, and took a written recall test. The independent variables were disability status, sustained attention, handwriting speed, verbal working memory, and listening comprehension. The dependent variables were quality of notes and written recall. Students with ADHD obtained lower scores on written recall and handwriting speed compared to controls, but did not differ on quality of notes, sustained attention, verbal working memory, or listening comprehension. Sustained attention and listening comprehension predicted quality of notes, and disability status, quality of notes, and listening comprehension predicted written recall.