Child volunteers sought for attention, problem-solving study


We are recruiting children between 7 and 14 years of age to participate in a study of the effect of time of day on tests of planning, problem solving, sustained attention, and reading comprehension. The study takes between three and 3 1/2 hours to complete, and will occur 9 a.m. to noon or 3 to 6 p.m. on weekends, after school, or on school holidays at the University. Your child will be asked to complete several measures of memory, reading, and problem solving. You, the parent, will be asked to complete an interview regarding your child's current behavior, and several short questionnaires about your child's typical behavior and sleeping patterns. Your child will be paid $25 for participation in the study.

The scores from your child's testing will be completely confidential and will not be associated with his or her name. We are interested in comparing group differences tested at various times of day. Children should not have a psychological diagnosis or a diagnosis of ADHD and/or a reading disorder. We are also looking for children who have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Children who participate must not be taking any medication at the time of testing. If you are and your child are interested in scheduling a time to participate or in finding out more about the study, please call me at 777-3260. – Tom Petros, professor of psychology.