The Effects of Descriptions of Personal Experiences on Students’ Learning and Behavioral Intentions Toward Peers with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Through a post-test only design, students’ knowledge and behavioral intentions toward their peers with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) were investigated. Students were shown a video that provided them with factual information about AD/HD. The experimental group viewed a video that contained descriptions of personal experiences (e.g., seductive information) in addition to factual information, while the control group received factual information only. Results show that adding descriptions of personal experiences to facts about AD/HD may be enough to enhance learning, but may not be enough to change behavioral intentions. On the knowledge scale, there is an interaction between the two knowledge-question categories (those addressed with facts only and facts with descriptions of personal experiences) and both experimental and control groups. This effect was such that the experimental group had a higher score on the knowledge-question category that addressed the descriptions of personal experiences than those addressed by facts only. Future researchers should focus on eliminating ceiling effects caused by inadequate measures and exploring the causal mechanisms behind the interaction.