Negative Halo Effects in Parent Ratings of ADHD and Conduct Problems

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition typically first diagnosed in children who exhibit substantial inattention and/or impulsivity and hyperactivity (APA, 2013). ADHD can be perceived as similar but distinct childhood conduct problems, such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) but is distinct. The evidence-based diagnostic process for these disorders often includes ratings from adults in the child’s life to assess behavior across settings (Rimvall, Jeppesen, &Verhulst, 2018). However, although the information gathered from these various raters is intended to better elucidate the potential diagnosis and are useful, these subjective measures allow for the possibility of rater bias (Emser et al., 2018). Researchers have identified negative halo effects in adult ratings of ADHD (Abikoff, Courtney, Pelham, & Koplewicz, 1993; DeVries, Hartung, & Golden, 2017; Hartung, Van Pelt, Armendariz, & Knight, 2006; Hartung et al., 2010; Jackson & King, 2004; Schachar, Sandberg, & Rutter, 1986; Stevens, Quittner, & Abikoff, 1998). Specifically, participants erroneously rated a child’s ADHD symptoms higher when the child exhibited conduct problems (Jackson & King, 2004), suggesting that in the presence of ODD symptoms adults assume ADHD symptoms are also present. This study will extend past research in an effort to examine negative halo effects in parent ratings of ADHD, ODD, and CD. Parents will read one of four vignettes portraying a child with either symptoms of ADHD, ODD, or CD, then respond to scales measuring their endorsement of the DSM-5 criteria for those disorders and disruptive behaviors.