ADHD Conversations with

Breanna, Charlotte,

Tabitha, & Arhe

Intro video

Who we are and what we will discuss!

Related to psychology in particular, the harm in holding misinformation in society overall is that it guides many of our individual decisions, behaviors, and beliefs towards ourselves and others. We will discuss this in our podcast episodes (such as threats to esteem, economic cost, opportunities, etc by following bad advice). The reason this matters is that it harms our knowledge and awareness of cognition, thus further encouraging stigmatizations. The cost of misinformation spread is the way in which psychology is used to manipulate viewership.

Our project aims to show that it is necessary to address misinformation broadly in order to bust myths. It is all our individual responsibilities to take action. While leaders and people in power do have a role to play in this as well, experts in these subjects do as well. That is, we shouldn’t just wait for regulation, we (the experts) need to spread the truths, too. Our intention is for you to consider and think about what steps you intend to take, to make the truths stick and the myths fade, as well as what needs to be avoided regarding dis/misinformation.

This infographic features an insight into the behavioral regulations of misinformation and methods for eliminating it. False information can be detrimental and may lead to serious consequences.

Psych fiction “sticks” easily in people’s minds for various reasons. For example, by the novelty hypothesis; we are attracted to novelty over truth. This explains why social media provides a false sense of trust and why viewership is so drastic. Another reason explained by the philosopher Spinoza is that we accept what we experience, and only reject it if we have to. Beliefs come from subjective experience. We also tend to feel that accuracy and reliable information comes from people who look and sound like they know what they are talking about. Keep these facts in mind when determining trustworthy sources and information, because there are no benefits to this rapid spread of misinformation.

Some practices that could potentially assist with dispelling these fictions are; researching and addressing the accuracy of a source through critical analysis. This will help deter regular consumption of inadequately fact-checked sources. If possible, consider limiting exposure to false info by not viewing/engaging with it at all. Fewer views is less incentive for creators to spread misinformation and for consumers to consume it. Another tactic argued by one of our resources Sinan Aral on TED (2018), is that it is important to label political speech and defund it, to help reverse the suppression of minority opinions. Overall, we need to eliminate false news fallacies by escaping the temptation and allowing qualified researchers to manage news algorithms.

Ep. 1: Can People with ADHD Focus for Long Periods of Time?

In this episode, we debunk a common myth about people with ADHD.

Here you can see the variation of beliefs amongst our peers regarding the question about ADHD and extended focus.

Ep. 2: Can Screen Time in Early Childhood Cause ADHD?

In the second episode, we talk about the effects of screen time on young children and whether or not it can cause ADHD.

This image illustrates a common ideology about screen time during childhood and its association with ADHD.

Here is a list of some of the environmental risk factors that are common in individuals with ADHD.

Look here to identify or learn about six factors that can potentially contribute to experiencing ADHD from early stages of life.

Ep. 3: Is ADHD a Learning Disability?

In our final episode, we talk about whether or not ADHD can be classified as a learning disability.

This image demonstrates that the ideology surrounding ADHD as a learning disability has the highest agreeing vote count.

Here is a short explanation of the reality of this myth

True / False Review summary -- "What is ADHD?"

About the Authors

Arhe Vaninetti (he/him)

I'm a Psychology and Philosophy double major here at Pacific. I hope to work in Human Resources as my future career. Currently, I am a resident assistant in Walter Hall, and for next year, I will be in Gilbert Hall. For this project, I learned so much about the power of myths, and how they can influence our beliefs. In the future, I will use these tips on reducing the power of psychology myths in my essays and presentations here at Pacific. After that, I hope to use this information in my workplace as a member of an HR department.

Breanna Hernandez (she/her)

I am a Junior here at Pacific University. I am majoring in Education and Learning and am pursuing a license in multiple subjects. It has been my dream to work with young children and help them grow and strive in this world. I am a Resident Assistant Mentor on campus and help promote community and diversity among the residence halls. I also am a member of the on campus sorority: Theta Nu Alpha. We focus on women empowerment and self growth. While completing this project, it is clear to me that there are so many myths that are in society and it is up to us to work together to debunk them. ADHD is a heated topic among parents, doctors, educators, and community members. Doing the research and analyzing why you agree with something is the first step to determining whether or not it is a myth.

Tabitha Sol (she/her)

I am a psychology major and a gender and sexuality studies minor. Career-wise I hope to become a therapist and host a resource center/support workshops for various communities. This project taught me to be conscious of the information that I absorb, and how to destigmatize myself and others ("undoing" myths) who experience ADHD. Unfortunately in the past, I fell to believe and spread cognitive myths. Especially if they were stated in a way that made sense and related to my personal experience. This project has shown me the methods to overcome this issue! In order to continue the fight for myth dispelling, I will help others be accountable for their mistakes in contributing to dis/misinformation.

Charlotte Pursley (she/her)

I'm a graduating senior majoring in Psychology. My professional interest lies in the growing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion field. I plan to use my knowledge of mythbusting while educating peers and implementing new policies and strategies within my workplace. I currently work at a dog boarding facility and am already using this knowledge to combat myths relating to dog training and breed prejudices. This project taught me how ingrained psychology myths are in society, and how easy it can be to find the truth with a bit of digging - it's easier than you'd think.

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