Tara Norton

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Cottrell, Catherine

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to more precisely and concretely define examples of masking behaviors for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent neurobehavioral disorder that occurs in 3– 7% of children.” (Kloo & Kain, 2016). Masking behavior is any action that neurodivergent individuals, such as people with ADHD, engage in to appear more socially acceptable. Masking behavior has been formally researched in Autism Spectrum Disorder, but there is very little formal research conducted on masking behavior in ADHD. In the current study, an online survey about masking behavior in ADHD was made available using social media, snowball method, and personal contacts. In all, 1523 participants answered the questions. Each of the 14 masking behaviors used in this research was used by the majority of ADHD participants. All masking items had an average frequency score of 3.34 or above, meaning 69% (with a range of 44%-87%) of participants selected “often, or very often” when asked how frequently they use these various masking behaviors in the past month. This study is important for the purpose of hope for improved diagnosis. It also helps with the recognition of negative impacts of masking behavior and promotion of potential future societal changes with more acceptance of neurodivergence. Furthermore, identifying masking behavior in ADHD is the first step to understanding the entire experience.

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