The Positive Illusory Bias and ADHD Symptoms: A New Measurement Approach

254 Pages·2015·2.28 MB·English

UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff SSoouutthh FFlloorriiddaa
DDiiggiittaall CCoommmmoonnss @@ UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff
SSoouutthh FFlloorriiddaa
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations USF Graduate Theses and Dissertations
January 2013
TThhee PPoossiittiivvee IIlllluussoorryy BBiiaass aanndd AADDHHDD SSyymmppttoommss:: AA NNeeww
MMeeaassuurreemmeenntt AApppprrooaacchh
Sarah A. Fefer
University of South Florida, [email protected]
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd
Part of the Educational Psychology Commons, Psychology Commons, and the Statistics and
Probability Commons
SScchhoollaarr CCoommmmoonnss CCiittaattiioonn
Fefer, Sarah A., "The Positive Illusory Bias and ADHD Symptoms: A New Measurement Approach" (2013).
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/4888
This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the USF Graduate Theses and Dissertations at
Digital Commons @ University of South Florida. It has been accepted for inclusion in USF Tampa Graduate Theses
and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ University of South Florida. For more
information, please contact [email protected].
The Positive Illusory Bias and ADHD Symptoms: A New Measurement Approach

by

Sarah A. Fefer

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology
Department of Psychological and Social Foundations
College of Education
University of South Florida

Major Professor: Julia A. Ogg, Ph.D.
Shannon M. Suldo, Ph.D.
Sarah Kiefer, Ph.D.
Linda Raffaele Mendez, Ph.D.
Robert Dedrick, Ph.D.

Date of Approval:
August 21, 2013

Keywords: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, competence, academic self-perception,
social self-perception, polynomial regression, response surface

Copyright©2013, Sarah A. Fefer
Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dr. Julia Ogg, my major professor, for supporting my research
interests since I stepped through the doors at USF. Julia’s outstanding mentorship has greatly
contributed to my passion for all things school psychology, and to the success of this ambitious
project. I would also like to thank Dr. Dedrick for his enthusiasm for improving on past studies
in this area, and for sharing his vast knowledge of statistics and research design. Drs. Suldo,
Kiefer, and Raffaele-Mendez have provided ongoing encouragement and support, as well as
insight related to adolescence, ADHD, and self-concept. I am also grateful for Dr. Shaunessy-
Dedrick’s willingness to serve as the best outside chair anyone could ask for. This project could
not have been accomplished without the contributions of my amazing committee members. Lisa
Bateman, the ADHD research team, the Society for the Study of School Psychology (SSSP), and
the staff at the two high schools, all deserve a special thank you for their efforts to carry out the
data collection for this project.
I am forever grateful to my friends and family for their love and enthusiasm for all of my
endeavors. David, my amazingly supportive partner, deserves a PhD of his own for being by my
side throughout my entire educational career. Thank you to Angela and Carolyn for being
amazing friends and study partners, Ashley and Omega for being my cheerleaders, and to Amber
for always making me smile. Finally, thank you to all of the school psychology students and
faculty at USF for being my “Florida family.”
Table of Contents

List of Tables iii

List of Figures v

Abstract vi

Chapter One: Introduction 1
Statement of the Problem 1
Purpose of the Current Study 7
Hypotheses 8
Definitions of Key Terms 9
Contributions to the Literature 13

Chapter Two: Review of the Literature 15
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 15
Conceptualizations of ADHD. 17
Self-Concept 41
Development of self-concept. 46
Self-Concept and ADHD 50
Limitations of Discrepancy Analysis 85
An Alternative to Difference Scores 89
Conclusion 97

Chapter Three: Method 99
Participants 99
Procedures 103
Indicators and Measures 107
Student measures. 108
Teacher measures. 111
Analyses 115
Ethical Considerations 120

Chapter Four: Results 122
Preliminary Analyses 122
Measurement Invariance 129
Base Rates of Discrepancies 140
Discrepancy Analysis 141
Polynomial Regression and Response Surface Results 146
Academic domain. 148
i
Social domain. 158
Summary of Results 169

Chapter Five: Discussion 173
Key Findings from Descriptive Analyses 174
Exploring the Harter Scales 175
Discrepancy Analysis 177
Results from Novel Measurement Approach 180
Contributions to the Literature 189
Implications for School Psychologists 193
Limitations of the Current Study 197
Conclusions and Future Directions 201

References 204

Appendices 231
Appendix A: Parent Consent Letter 232
Appendix B: Student Assent Letter 235
Appendix C: Teacher Consent Letter 237
Appendix D: Demographic Form 239
Demographic Form 239
Appendix E: Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (SPPA) 240
Appendix F: Teacher Survey 242

ii
List of Tables
Table 1 Total School Demographic Information 100

Table 2 Demographic Characteristics of Student Participants 102
Table 3 Measures Administered and Analyzed for the Current Study 115
Table 4 Demographic Information for Student Sample 125
Table 5 Means, Standard Deviations, Ranges, Skew, and Kurtosis of All 127
Measures

Table 6 Cronbach’s Alpha (α) for all Measures 128
Table 7 Correlations Between All Variables of Interest 130

Table 8 Academic Competence: Configural Model 135
Table 9 Model Fit Statistics- Academic Domain 136
Table 10 Social Competence: Configural Model 138
Table 11 Model Fit Statistics- Social Domain 139
Table 12 Frequencies of SPPA scores over, under, and in-agreement with 141
SPPA-TRS scores

Table 13 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynomial 149
Regression with Self – Teacher Ratings of Academic Competence
Discrepancy Predicting ADHD Symptoms

Table 14 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynomial 150
Regression with Gender as Covariate, Academic Competence
Measures as Predictors and ADHD Symptoms as the Outcome

Table 15 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynomial 153
Regression with Self – Teacher Ratings of Academic Competence
Discrepancy Predicting Hyperactive/Impulsive Symptoms
iii
Table 16 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynomial 154
Regression with Gender as Covariate, Academic Competence
Measures as Predictors, and HI Symptoms as the Outcome

Table 17 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynomial 157
Regression with Self – Teacher Ratings of Academic Competence
Discrepancy Predicting Inattentive Symptoms

Table 18 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynomial 158
Regression with Gender as Covariate, Academic Competence
Measures as Predictors and IA Symptoms as the Outcome

Table 19 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynonial 162
Regression with Self – Teacher Rating of Social Competence
Discrepancy Predicting ADHD Symptoms

Table 20 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynomial 162
Regression with Gender as Covariate, Social Competence Measures
as Predictors, and ADHD Symptoms as the Outcome

Table 21 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynomial 164
Regression with Self – Teacher Rating of Social Competence
Discrepancy Predicting HI Symptoms

Table 22 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynomial 166
Regression with Gender as Covariate, Social Competence Measures
as Predictors, and HI Symptoms as the Outcome

Table 23 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynomail 168
Regression with Self – Teacher Rating of Social Competence
Discrepancy Predicting IA Symptoms

Table 24 Correlations between Predictors and Results of Polynomial 169
Regression with Gender as Covariate, Social Competence Measures
as Predictors, and IA Symptoms as the Outcome

Table 25 Summary of Response Surface Value Coefficients with Gender as 172
Covariate

iv
List of Figures
Figure 1 Matrix of possible combinations of Self and Teacher ratings to 9
conceptualize the various ways that agreement and disagreement can
occur (not categorical groups)

Figure 2 Confirmatory factor analysis model used to test measurement 131
invariance of corresponding items for student self-rating of their
competence and teacher rating of student competence

Figure 3 Response surface graph of overall ADHD symptoms as predicted by 151
student perceptions of academic competence-teacher perceptions of
academic competence discrepancy (with gender as covariate)

Figure 4 Response surface graph of overall HI symptoms as predicted 155
by student perceptions of academic competence-teacher
perceptions of academic competence discrepancy (with
gender as covariate)

Figure 5 Response surface graph of IA symptoms as predicted by student 159
perceptions of academic competence-teacher perceptions of
academic competence discrepancy (with gender as covariate)

Figure 6 Response surface graph of overall ADHD symptoms as predicted by 163
student perceptions of social competence-teacher perceptions of
social competence discrepancy (with gender as covariate)

Figure 7 Response surface graph of HI symptoms as predicted by student 167
perceptions of social competence-teacher perceptions of social
competence discrepancy (with gender as covariate)

Figure 8 Response surface graph of IA symptoms as predicted by 170
student perceptions of social competence-teacher perceptions
of social competence discrepancy (with gender as covariate)

v
Abstract

  The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of academic and social
competence among adolescents with a continuum of inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive
symptoms. Past literature suggests that children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) display self-perceptions that are overly positive compared to external indicators of
competence, a phenomenon that is referred to as the positive illusory bias (PIB; Owens, Goldfine,
Evangelista, Hoza, & Kaiser, 2007). The PIB is well supported among children with ADHD, and
recent research suggests that the PIB persists into adolescence. To date, research on the PIB has
relied on difference scores (i.e., an indicator of competence is subtracted from student self-
ratings); however, difference scores suffer from numerous methodological limitations (Edwards,
2002). The current study investigated the relationship between self and teacher ratings of
academic and social competence and inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, and overall ADHD
symptoms among a diverse sample of 395 students and their teachers. Polynomial regression and
response surface methods were used to account for self and teacher ratings separately and
decrease reliance on differences scores. These methods have been recommended to answer
complex questions related to agreement and disagreement between ratings. The results of this
study suggest that some adolescents with ADHD symptoms demonstrate the PIB, while others
perceive their impairments and rate themselves as having low competence aligned with teacher
ratings. Accurate ratings of low competence were more common within the academic domain
than the social domain for students with overall ADHD symptoms as well as specific inattentive
vi
and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. Results within the social domain indicate that all ADHD
symptoms increased more sharply as the discrepancy between self and teacher ratings increased.
Student overestimation of competence in both the academic and social domains was shown to be
more predictive of high inattentive symptoms compared to hyperactive/impulsive symptoms.
These findings suggest this new analysis approach allowed for a more nuanced understanding of
the complex relationship between student and teacher competence ratings and ADHD symptoms.
Gaining a better understanding of the PIB through this improved methodology has the potential to
influence assessment and intervention practices among school psychologists, and to contribute to
future research in this area. This study contributes to the literature by being the first to (1)
examine the PIB in relation to a range of general and specific ADHD symptoms, (2) use
polynomial regression/response surface methods to address limitations of difference scores, and
(3) explore the PIB among a school-based sample of adolescents.
vii