Comparing attentional skills using the Test of Everyday Attention for Children scores in a sample of U.S. children

The aim of this study was to examine if demographic factors such as gender, ethnicity, and parental level of education contribute significantly to differences in attentional skills across children using the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch). The TEA-Ch was administered to 158 children in the U.S. between the ages of 6 and 15 years, 11 months without identified attention problems. Participants were selected to match specified age, gender, ethnicity, and parent's education levels to approximate the 2005 U.S. Census data.

Using the TEA-Ch subtest scores as dependent variables, results revealed that there was no significant gender difference on sustained attention measures. Females scored significantly higher than males on a measure of selective attention (Map Mission) as well as on a shifting attention measure (Creature Counting). Parental level of education did not significantly affect performance on the TEA-Ch. In regards to ethnicity, Caucasians scored significantly higher than Hispanics on two measures of sustained attention (Score! and Score DT) and Caucasians also scored significantly higher than African Americans on a sustained attention measure (Code Transmission). While many of the expected findings were not confirmed, the current study adds to the limited research base surrounding demographic variables and attention in a non-clinical population and also adds to the limited research exposure of the TEA-Ch in a U.S. population.