Executive function correlates of pragmatic language in children with ADHD

Higher accuracy and composite scores generally indicate better performance; variable definitions, score ranges, coding conventions, and any exceptions concerning errors or response times should be interpreted using the accompanying data dictionary. The data show that the ADHD group performed significantly below the typically developing group on all four pragmatic-language measures, with medium-to-large effect sizes, and on most executive-function measures, although the groups did not differ significantly in episodic-buffer performance.

In the final hierarchical regression model, all predictors together explained 50.9% of the variance in pragmatic language, while inhibition and working memory were the only significant independent predictors; attention did not explain additional variance after the other variables were controlled. The dataset can be used to reproduce the reported descriptive statistics, group comparisons, principal component analyses, correlations, and hierarchical regression, as well as to conduct secondary analyses of relationships among pragmatic language, executive functions, and ADHD.

Because the study is cross-sectional and based on a culturally specific sample, the findings should be interpreted as evidence of associations rather than causal mechanisms.