Self-reported ADHD symptoms among college students: item positioning affects symptom endorsement rates.
OBJECTIVE
The effect of manipulating item positioning on self-reported ADHD symptoms was examined. We assessed whether listing DSM-IV ADHD symptoms serially or interspersed affected (a) the correlation between ADHD symptoms and (b) the rate of symptom endorsement.


METHODS
In Study 1, an undergraduate sample (n = 102) completed a measure that listed DSM-IV ADHD symptoms serially and a measure that interspersed DSM-IV ADHD items among non-ADHD symptoms. In Study 2, a separate undergraduate sample (n = 240) completed a measure that listed DSM-IV ADHD symptoms serially and another ADHD measure that interspersed DSM-IV ADHD items among non-DSM-IV ADHD items.


RESULTS
Item positioning did not affect the correlation between symptoms, but did reveal a significant bias in the rate of symptom endorsements.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that there is significant variability in ADHD symptom endorsements resulting from item positioning. This effect has implications for clinical assessment and epidemiological research of ADHD among college students.
Psychology Department, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA. jtmitch3@uncg.edu
John T
JT
Mitchell
Laura E
LE
Knouse
Rosemery O
RO
Nelson-Gray
Thomas R
TR
Kwapil
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult