ADHD and Stereotype Threat

Stereotype threat is a very commonly researched phenomenon that affects people’s performance on tests and other evaluated tasks. Stereotype threat occurs when a member of a stereotyped group is evaluated on a task on which society believes they should not perform well. The member of the group is distracted and self-conscious about his or her performance due to the stereotype. For example, in a society that believes girls are not good at math, a girl may become distracted and discouraged during a math test, and therefore earn a low grade. This, in turn, confirms the stereotype.

Research about stereotype threat tends to focus on race and gender; only few studies have examined the existence of stereotype threat for people with ADHD. Since ADHD is strongly related to academic underachievement, students with ADHD often view themselves as less capable of performing well on tests than their peers. Belonging to a group that typically does not perform well on tests could cause those with ADHD to be at risk for stereotype threat. Research finds that students with ADHD are at risk!

Some participants were part of the “stereotype threat group” in which stereotype threat was evoked by reminding them of the stereotypes of ADHD. These participants with ADHD were reminded of their diagnosis as well as reminded that people with ADHD tend to not perform well on tests. Their scores on a GRE test were lower than their peers with ADHD who were not reminded of their diagnosis and stereotype. This suggests that when people with ADHD are reminded of their poor academic performance stereotype, they are at risk of underperforming on evaluated tasks.

What can we do to prevent stereotype threat? 

It is important to not remind people with ADHD of their stereotypes, especially before an exam. Having a role model who has proven the stereotype to be false is also encouraging for people with ADHD. Additionally, getting help for ADHD and gaining test-taking skills can give students the confidence to perform well on tests. Of course, the biggest goal would be to reduce and eliminate the stereotype that people with ADHD always perform poorly on tests.
Contact Dr. Gordon for help with your ADHD. We have treatment and solutions available online, by phone, and in our offices.

written by:
 Brianna Malinowski, 
Jay Gordon, Ph.D

Foy, S. L. (2015). Challenges from and beyond symptomatology: Stereotype threat in young adults with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 19(7), 1-12. doi:10.1177/1087054715590159