German scientists from the University of Bonn and other scientific institutions studied the connection between the tendency to engage in risky behavior and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in men and women. The study was published in the scientific journal BMC Psychiatry.
ADHD is a condition that affects people of all ages. While men are more likely to be diagnosed in childhood, women with ADHD tend to go unnoticed or be diagnosed later in life, in part because symptoms often present differently.
In particular, men tend to exhibit hyperactive or impulsive behavior, while women are more likely to exhibit emotional dysregulation and internalizing symptoms such as anxiety or depression.
The new study involved 29 adults with ADHD (16 men and 13 women) and 33 healthy controls (14 men and 19 women), all aged 18 to 60 years. Participants completed a modified version of the analog balloon risk test, which is designed to assess risk-taking behavior.
In the task, participants saw a balloon on a screen that inflated automatically. A larger balloon increased the potential monetary gain, but also increased the risk of the balloon exploding, which would result in the loss of all money raised.
During the task, the researchers recorded skin conductance responses (SCRs) to assess physiological changes associated with emotional arousal.
The results showed that women with ADHD exhibited significantly more risky behavior during the test compared to men with ADHD.
This increased risk taking was not observed in the control group, suggesting a unique interaction between gender and ADHD in influencing decision-making behavior. Interestingly, there were no significant gender differences in physiological responses measured by SCR.
Further analysis of self-report questionnaires revealed that women with ADHD reported lower sensitivity to their own risky behavior, indicating a potential gap between self-perception and actual tendencies.
