Psychology
Don't Mess It Up! Can Students with OCD Concentrate in Messy Environments?
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
10-4-2015 3:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2015 4:15 PM
Sponsor
Tara Lineweaver (Butler University)
Description
Stereotype threat has been researched in a variety of contexts like: African Americans' intellect, older adults' memory, and women's performance in math. Despite this extensive research, little has been done in the domain of mental illness. Past studies have shown that revealing a past history of mental illness results in individuals performing less well on a reasoning test, and patients with schizophrenia demonstrate poorer social skills when they know the person they are interacting with is aware of their diagnosis. Our study examines whether stereotype threat can be induced in people high in OCD symptoms. We hypothesized that, when given explicit information about their OCD tendencies, individuals high in OCD symptoms would perform less well on cognitive tests in a messy than a clean environment compared to those low in OCD symptoms.
Group testing sessions included a mix of college students high (n=20) and low (n=19) in OCD symptoms. The classroom and testing packets were either messy or clean. At the beginning of the session, each participant was given confidential, accurate information about their OCD symptomatology. They then completed tests of concentration and immediate and delayed memory.
Results indicated that individuals high, but not low, in OC tendencies showed decreased concentration in a messy environment compared to a clean environment. Thus, our results suggest that individuals with OCD symptomatology are susceptible to stereotype threat, much like other vulnerable populations.
Don't Mess It Up! Can Students with OCD Concentrate in Messy Environments?
Stereotype threat has been researched in a variety of contexts like: African Americans' intellect, older adults' memory, and women's performance in math. Despite this extensive research, little has been done in the domain of mental illness. Past studies have shown that revealing a past history of mental illness results in individuals performing less well on a reasoning test, and patients with schizophrenia demonstrate poorer social skills when they know the person they are interacting with is aware of their diagnosis. Our study examines whether stereotype threat can be induced in people high in OCD symptoms. We hypothesized that, when given explicit information about their OCD tendencies, individuals high in OCD symptoms would perform less well on cognitive tests in a messy than a clean environment compared to those low in OCD symptoms.
Group testing sessions included a mix of college students high (n=20) and low (n=19) in OCD symptoms. The classroom and testing packets were either messy or clean. At the beginning of the session, each participant was given confidential, accurate information about their OCD symptomatology. They then completed tests of concentration and immediate and delayed memory.
Results indicated that individuals high, but not low, in OC tendencies showed decreased concentration in a messy environment compared to a clean environment. Thus, our results suggest that individuals with OCD symptomatology are susceptible to stereotype threat, much like other vulnerable populations.