Sustained Attention and Grade Retention

Two studies are reported which explore the possible relationship between academic failure, as measured by grade retention, and the capacity to sustain attention on a computerized continuous performance task. In a nonreferred sample, 89 children who had been retained at some point in their academic careers showed a higher frequency of abnormal scores on an index of sustained attention than did 93 children who had never repeated a grade. In a sample of children who had been referred for an evaluation of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, children with a history of grade retention had significantly lower scores on the same measure of sustained attention. Results are discussed in terms of the possible contribution of attention deficits to over-all academic achievement, even for children who have not necessarily been referred for a clinical evaluation.