Abstract

The present study investigated social understanding and behaviors in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD). Measures of social understanding included perspective taking, empathy, social context understanding, and concern to distress. Measures of social behavior included prosocial behaviors, potential aggression, and externalized aggression. In social understanding measures, children with ADHD showed less perspective taking, empathy, and concern to distress competence than children with non-ADHD. The measure of social context understanding was not significantly different between children with ADHD and non-ADHD. In social behavior measures, children with ADHD showed less prosocial behavior, and more aggressive behavior than children with non-ADHD. The measure of social context understanding was not significantly different between children with ADHD and non-ADHD. Consequently, children with ADHD showed impairment of social understanding and behaviors. Finally, clinical implication and limitations of this research were discussed, and the suggestions for further research were discussed.