ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Pediatric Psychology
This article is part of the Research TopicDesign Strategies in Human-Computer Interaction for Supporting Children with Diverse AbilitiesView all articles
Enhancing Attention and Emotion Regulation in Children with ADHD through AR Digital Picture Books: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Provisionally accepted
- 1Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
- 2Changshu Institute of Technology, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
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This study investigates the effectiveness of augmented reality (AR) digital picture books in improving attention and emotional regulation among children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Grounded in self-determination theory and emotion regulation frameworks, a five-variable structural model was constructed: AR motivation → learning motivation → attentional focus → emotional regulation → behavioral improvement. Cognitive load and its interaction effects were introduced as moderating variables. Forty children aged 9 to 11, including 20 diagnosed with ADHD and 20 typically developing children, participated in a two-week AR picture book intervention. Quantitative data were collected via student-, teacher-, and parent-rated instruments. T-tests, MANOVA, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and multigroup analysis (PLS-MGA) were used for statistical analysis. The results indicated that AR picture books showed potential to improve learning motivation, attentional focus, and emotional regulation among ADHD children, ultimately enhancing behavioral outcomes. Learning motivation and attention served as significant mediators between AR experiences and emotion regulation. Cognitive load exhibited a negative moderating effect on the attentional-emotional pathway, with divergent patterns observed between ADHD and non-ADHD groups. These findings provide empirical support for the application of AR-based multisensory interaction design in special education interventions and offer practical insights into personalized cognitive-adaptive instructional design for inclusive learning environments.
Keywords: ADHD, Attention enhancement, augmented reality, Emotion Regulation, learningmotivation, Structural Equation Modeling
Received: 17 Apr 2025; Accepted: 02 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yang, Sun, Liu and Cao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Rongming Yang
Weibo Sun
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