Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Human Services

Advisor

Scott Hershberger

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a growing societal problem that has been increasing among college students. Previous research on this population is limited and even fewer studies focus on women. The purpose of this quantitative study is to understand the developmental task of ego identity status for female college students with and without a diagnosis of ADHD based on Erikson's psychosocial theory. The study used the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (OMEIS) to measure identity diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement status as a means to assess identity status in female college students. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent sample t tests, and the phi coefficient correlation. There was a lack of statistically significant findings for four of the five proposed research questions, indicating that 28 female undergraduate students in this purposive sample with and without a diagnosis of ADHD do not differ in the developmental task of ego identity. However, results for the research question regarding the choice of major among participants were statistically significant. Specifically, a p value of .022 was found using the phi coefficient for the research question concerning the choice of major, resulting in rejecting the null hypothesis. Implications for positive social change include the provision of exploration of major choices for female college students with a diagnosis of ADHD, implementation of a specific course that is designed to support students in the choice of majors, and opportunities to connect with faculty to discuss and discover major options.

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