ADHD-like traits reshape the balance between inhibitory control and predictive processes

Abstract

Adaptive behavior relies on a dynamic balance between flexible, goal-directed control and efficient, automatic processes. This equilibrium is often disrupted in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a condition understood to exist along a continuum of traits in the general population. While ADHD is consistently linked to response inhibition deficits, its relationship with statistical learning (a mechanism for habit learning) and, crucially, the interaction between these functions, remains underexplored. Here, using a novel paradigm in a non-clinical sample of university students (n = 226), we investigated how ADHD-like traits modulate the interplay between response inhibition and statistical learning. We found that higher ADHD-like traits were associated with poorer response inhibition, confirming previous research. Importantly, we uncovered an antagonistic relationship between inhibition and statistical learning, where weaker inhibitory control typically led to enhanced learning of environmental regularities. However, this learning advantage progressively diminished across the ADHD trait continuum, becoming markedly reduced in individuals with high symptom prevalence. These findings provide novel evidence that ADHD-like traits influence not only isolated neurocognitive processes but also their dynamic interaction, highlighting a spectrum-based mechanism that may underlie the transition from adaptive variability to maladaptive behavioral patterns. This work advocates for a dimensional approach to ADHD, emphasizing early detection and targeted interventions for individuals with varying levels of symptomatic expression, broadening support beyond traditional diagnostic boundaries.