The role of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in the positive illusory bias

The present study examined the relationships among gender, inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, depressive symptoms, and biases in perceptions of scholastic competence in children. Participants were 38 children with predominantly inattentive symptoms (IA), 59 children with predominantly hyperactive/impulsive symptoms or a combination of hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention (HICB), and 83 control (CTL) children. HICB children overestimated their scholastic competence more than IA children when reading and math achievement scores were used as criteria and more than CTL children when math achievement and teacher perceptions of children's competence were used as criteria. IA children generally did not differ from CTL children with regard to estimations of competence. Regression analyses suggested that positive illusory self-perceptions are associated with more severe hyperactivity/ impulsivity, but not more severe inattention.