Effects on social perception of factors related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Matthew Vincent LaGrange, Purdue University

Abstract

Boys, age 6 years to 10 years, rated how teachers felt toward students in videotaped interactions whose valence was systematically varied across both content and affective tone. The accuracy of their ratings was also evaluated by comparing their ratings to those of a group of judges comprised of teachers. Participants were placed into groups based on Attention and Hyperactivity subtest scores from the ADD-H: Comprehensive Teacher Rating Scale (ACTeRS) (Inattentive/Hyperactive Group, Inattentive Group, Hyperactive Group, and Control Group). As expected, no main effects for inattention or hyperactivity were found to differentiate overall stimulus ratings. There also were no group differences on ratings of stimuli when the content valence and affective tone valence were consistent. Likewise, participant ratings were similar to those of the judges on the valence consistent stimuli. Participants in the Inattentive/Hyperactive group differed from the other groups when the content valence and tone valence were on the affective tone, regardless of the content. The other groups base their ratings more on the content of the stimuli. Contradicting expected findings, the Inattentive/Hyperactive group was most similar to the teacher judge's on the ambiguous stimuli.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Conger, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Psychotherapy|Developmental psychology

COinS