The optimal stimulation theory developed by Zentall (1975) holds that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) will demonstrate high levels of activity when faced with a task or situation of low arousal or stimulation. Both Zentall's early work and more recent research have supported the theory. The present study aimed to add to this literature by comparing children with and without ADHD on an academic task under two counterbalanced stimulation conditions. The first required children to do mathematics problems in silence, and the second required doing the problems with their favourite music playing. Twenty-two children with ADHD and 20 children without ADHD, with a mean age of 9.75 years, were hypothesised to perform significantly differently under the two conditions. Mathematics performance was scored as Correct, Number attempted, and Accurate (number correct divided by number attempted). A repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated that generally no main effects for group (ADHD and non-ADHD) nor condition (music and silence) were observed. The only significant finding was that Accuracy (the complex mathematical calculation) improved for both the ADHD and non-ADHD groups, an effect not influenced by order of task presentation. This finding supports the optimal stimulation theory for all children under both order conditions, and is not specific to ADHD.
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