Forming first impressions of children: the role of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and emotion dysregulation
Abstract
Background Previous research on peer status of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has focused on already-established peer groups, rendering the specific social behaviors that influence peers' initial impressions largely unknown. Recently, theorists have argued that emotion dysregulation is a key aspect of ADHD, with empirical work finding relations between emotion dysregulation and social outcomes. Therefore, the current study focuses on the initial interactions among children varying in ADHD symptoms duringh a novel playgroup, proposing that emotion dysregulation displayed during the playgroup may serve as a possible pathway between ADHD symptoms and peers' initial negative impressions. Methods Participants were 233 elementary-age children ranging from 8 to 10 years old (M = 8.83, 70% male). Parents and teachers rated children's ADHD symptoms and related impairment; 51% of the children met criteria for an ADHD diagnosis. Then, children participated with unfamiliar peers in a three-hour playgroup that included three structured and two unstructured tasks. After the tasks, children and staff rated each child on social outcomes. Coders unaware of child's diagnostic status watched videos of the groups and rated each child's global emotion dysregulation during each task. Results Using multiple raters and methods, ADHD severity was associated with more negative peer ratings, through observed emotion dysregulation. Results were consistent for both parent a…
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ADHD with ED is associated with more severe social dysfunction.
“social (9)”
From Abnormal functional connectivity associated with emotional dysregulation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (2025) · cites this paper as [9]
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- Authors
- Lee, C. A., Milich, R., Lorch, E. P., Flory, K., Owens, J. S., Lamont, A. E., & Evans, S. W.
- Affiliations
- University of Kentucky (US)
- University of South Carolina (US)
- Ohio University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lee, Christine A.
- Venue
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-10-30
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 556-564
- ISSN
- 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7610
- OpenAlex
- W2766924690
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 2.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Institute of Education Sciences
- U.S. Department of Education (R324A120003)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, emotional dysregulation, peer likeability, peer status, elementary school students, social behavior, ADHD symptoms
- MeSH terms
- Affective Symptoms, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Peer Group, Social Desirability, Social Perception
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