Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and risk-taking: A three-level meta-analytic review of behavioral, self-report, and virtual reality metrics

Abstract

Meta-analytic methods were used to examine ADHD-related risk-taking in children and adults, and to compare the magnitude of risk taking across behavioral, self-report, and virtual reality metrics. Potential moderators of effect size heterogeneity were also examined via a three-level multi-level approach and a hybrid meta-analytic/systematic review approach. Aggregated effect sizes obtained from 56 behavioral-task studies (82 effect sizes; ADHD_N = 2577; TD_N = 2606), 51 self-report studies (130 effect sizes; ADHD_N = 18,641; TD_N = 113,163), and 8 virtual reality studies (16 effect sizes; ADHD_N = 382; TD_N = 436) suggest that children and adults with ADHD exhibit moderately more risk-taking compared to children and adults without the disorder. Notably, the aggregated effect size obtained from virtual reality simulations (Hedges', g = 0.43) was 30-40% larger than effect sizes obtained from self-report and behavioral task metrics (Hedges' g = 0.31 and 0.27), respectively. Suboptimal Decision Making was the only significant moderator identified via multi-level modeling; however, comparison of subgroup effect sizes revealed potential moderating effects of ADHD presentation and trial-by-trial feedback on behavioral tasks. Collectively, findings suggest that ADHD is reliably associated with small to moderate magnitude greater risk-taking behavior and virtual reality simulations appear be the most sensitive currently available metric.

Keywords: ADHD; Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Behavioral task; Meta-analysis; Rating scale; Risk taking; Virtual reality.