College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Term of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Name

Master of Science in Experimental Psychology (M.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Psychology

Committee Chair

Amy Hackney

Committee Member 1

Nicolette Rickert

Committee Member 2

Meca Williams-Johnson

Abstract

Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often display behaviors such as inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that may be perceived as disruptive in classroom settings. These behaviors can influence teachers’ responses and disciplinary decisions, which may be shaped by stereotypes or biases associated with ADHD diagnoses. This study examined whether a context-based intervention could reduce bias in teachers’ disciplinary decisions. Participants were 112 current or former elementary school teachers living in the United States who were recruited through the online recruitment platform Cloud Research. Using an experimental design, participants were randomly assigned to a neutral or empathetic intervention condition and evaluated student misbehavior scenarios with or without an ADHD diagnosis. Dependent measures assessed emotional responses and disciplinary judgments. Qualitative analyses of participant responses supported the effectiveness of the intervention manipulation, with responses in the empathetic condition including themes of attentiveness, support, and relationship-building, and responses in the neutral condition emphasizing preparation, routine, and structure. Further results indicated that the two behavioral reports were not perceived as equally severe; therefore, separate analyses were conducted for the disruption and disobedience reports. Contrary to the hypotheses, there were no statistically significant interactions between intervention conditions and ADHD diagnosis. Correlational analyses showed that more severe disciplinary judgments were associated with higher negative emotional responses and lower positive emotional responses. Overall, this study suggests that despite an increase in negative emotions in response to misbehavior in the classroom, experienced teachers are still able to treat their students fairly and kindly. Implications for reducing bias in classroom settings are discussed.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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