Global-Local Processing in ADHD Is Not Limited to the Visuospatial Domain: Novel Evidence From the Auditory Domain

Abstract

Objective: Global-local visuospatial processing has been widely investigated in both healthy and clinical populations. Recent studies indicated that individuals with ADHD lack a global processing bias. However, the extant literature regarding global-local processing style focuses solely on the visual modality. Methods: ADHD ( N = 21) and typically developed (TD) controls ( N = 24) underwent an auditory global-local task, in which they had to decide whether the melody is ascending or descending in global or local conditions. Results: TD controls exhibited a classic global processing bias in the auditory task. The ADHD group exhibited no global processing bias, indicating similar processing for global and local dimensions, implying that individuals with ADHD are distracted by incongruent information in global and local conditions similarly, in both visual and auditory tasks. Conclusion: A lack of global processing bias in ADHD is not limited to the visuospatial modality and likely reflects a broader and more general processing style.