The Cumulative Effect of Hyperactivity and Peer Relationships on Reading Comprehension

Abstract

The impact of hyperactivity and peer relationships on academic achievement has long been highlighted in the professional literature. This study highlights how much variation in reading comprehension scores, an indicator of academic achievement, are accounted for by hyperactivity, conduct problems, and peer problems. The participants included 129 students in first through sixth grade in an urban school district in the Northeast. A multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the unique contributions of hyperactivity, peer relationships, and conduct problems on reading comprehension. Results indicated that increasing levels of peer problems were associated with decreasing reading comprehension scores.