This study examines the impact that perceptions and expectations related to a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have on academic performance. Although prior research focuses on educational interventions for children with ADHD, we know less about adults with ADHD. This paper applies research on status characteristics theory as applied to stigma to understand whether the labels applied toon college students with ADHD hinders their academic performance. My first hypothesis is that people will have lower performance expectations for students with ADHD than for those without ADHD. While my second hypothesis is that people will desire a greater social distance from an individual with ADHD than without. Participants were recruited via email to participate in a survey. Participants were assigned to read one of eight vignette conditions describing a hypothetical student and then respond to a series of questions that assess expectation states, stigma, and likelihood of academic success. Two hypotheses were tested. The first hypothesis predicts that people will have lower performance expectations for students with ADHD than for those without ADHD. The second predicts that people will desire a greater social distance from and individual with ADHD than without. Both hypotheses were not supported. One possible reason for this is that this study only collected responses from students, and not teachers who have control over people’s grades. Another possible issue is the racial and age distribution of the participants, which was not fully representative of the broader student population. Despite the results not supporting the hypotheses, it is overall a positive outcome for people with ADHD because it shows a decrease in stigmatization of ADHD.
