Interpreting the Evidence for Effective Interventions to Increase the Academic Performance of Students With ADHD: Relevance of the Statistical Significance Controversy

Abstract

This article reviews the literature on interventions targeting the academic performance of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and does so within the context of the statistical significance testing controversy. Both the arguments for and against null hypothesis statistical significance tests are reviewed. Recent standards promulgated by both the American Psychological Association and more recently by the American Educational Research Association are discussed. The ADHD literature is reviewed with respect to reporting of statistical, practical, and clinical significance and to the reporting of explicit, direct comparisons of obtained effect sizes with those in the related prior literature. It is suggested that a greater emphasis on (a) effect size reporting and (b) replicability comparisons will better enable practitioners to select evidence-based educational interventions.