Overexcitabilities and ADHD in Gifted Adolescents in Jordan: Empirical Evidence

Abstract

ABSTRACT There is no empirical evidence in Jordan that addresses the overlap and coexistence of overexcitability (OE) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in gifted students. This study aims to investigate (a) the relationship between characteristics of OE forms and ADHD subtypes and (b) the gender differences in OE profiles among gifted students in Jordan. The participants included 265 gifted adolescents from the Jubilee Institute. They were administered the Jordanian version of the Overexcitability Questionnaire-Two (OEQII) and the Conners ADHD/DSM-V Scales-Adolescent scale. The Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) revealed a noteworthy collective relationship between OE and ADHD constructs, and another noteworthy relationship in relation to the gender of gifted adolescents. The findings also revealed small, significant positive correlations between (a) Psychomotor OE and hyperactive-impulsive ADHD, (b) Imaginational OE and ADHD subtypes, and (c) a small significant negative correlation between Intellectual OE and inattentive ADHD scores. Additionally, there was a significant gender difference in the Psychomotor OE in favor of boys and significant differences in the Emotional, Sensual, and Imaginational OEs in favor of girls. No significant gender differences were found in the Intellectual OEs of the participants.