Dorien Bangma

216 | CHAPTER 9 symptoms of ADHD in a community sample ( chapter 8 ). Using multiple regression analyses, no relation was however found between these two aspects of FDM and current symptoms of ADHD when controlling for personality traits, symptoms of depression, and demographical variables ( chapter 8 ). This indicates that not only the symptomatology of ADHD, but also related contextual factors play a role and are of influence on the FDM capability (also see the discussion on contextual factors below). Difficulties with FDM, as measured with performance-based tests and as found in adults with ADHD, are likely related to financial problems in everyday life, such as debts, difficulties saving money and financial dependency, which are more frequently found in adults with ADHD compared to healthy controls ( chapter 7 , also see Altszuler et al., 2016; Barkley et al., 2008). A direct association between the personal financial situation of adults with ADHD and their performances on performance-based measures of FDM capability was, however, not examined in the present thesis. Furthermore, financial problems in everyday life appeared less evident in individuals with current symptoms of ADHD who were identified in a community sample ( chapter 8 ). This latter sample, however, included individuals without a verified clinical diagnosis of adult ADHD. Consequently, the results of our studies might indicate that individuals with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD, such as evaluated in the study presented in chapter 7 , are more likely to experience everyday problems with FDM than individuals with only self-reported ADHD symptoms. The dual-pathway model of ADHD may provide an explanation for the lower performances of adults with ADHD found in the field of (financial) decision-making. According to the dual-pathway model, ADHD can be described as a disorder of both cognitive dysregulation and motivational/affective dysregulation (Sonuga-Barke, 2003). This dysregulation might negatively affect either the deliberative/analytic processing of information or the affective/experiential processing of information, respectively, which are described as two systems of information processing important for adequate decision-making (Evans, 2008; Kahneman, 2003). In the studies presented in chapters 6 and 7 , no evidence was found that decision-making problems in adults with ADHD could be explained merely by motivational/emotional dysregulation problems or by problems with regard to cognitive control, since deviating performances on both intuitive as well as deliberative/analytic decision- making tests were found in adults with ADHD. The evaluation of the dual-pathway model of ADHD in relation to decision-making deficits in adults with ADHD was, however, not part of the aims of these studies. Furthermore, in contrast to what can be expected based on the dual- pathway model, similar performances were found in adults with ADHD and healthy controls on a highly cognitive demanding FDM test (i.e., the Competence in Decision Rules test; chapter 7 ). Therefore, more research is needed to evaluate if there is indeed a relation between the dual-pathway model of ADHD and (financial) decision-making capability problems in adults with ADHD. Nevertheless, evidence has been found that adults with ADHD symptomatology have more difficulties with several aspects of FDM capability compared to healthy controls, which might result in (more) financial problems in everyday life. Although financial problems were already demonstrated in adults with ADHD using self- and proxy reported questionnaires (e.g.,