Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026
12:55
Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
Students admitted to university who fail: hidden disabilities affecting students' performance
A M Pottinger1, F La Hee, K Asmus
1Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Child Health, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7. pottsie@cwjamaica.com
The West Indian Medical Journal
|August 26, 2011
Summary
Students with hidden disabilities, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), face significant academic challenges and distress. Early identification and support are crucial to prevent university failure.
Area of Science:
- Higher Education
- Disability Studies
- Psychology
Background:
- Hidden disabilities present unique challenges for university students.
- Understanding the impact of these disabilities on academic and social adjustment is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare academic performance and social adjustment of students with and without hidden disabilities at The University of the West Indies, Mona.
- To identify specific challenges faced by students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other hidden disabilities.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 165 undergraduate students.
- Data collection included health, social, and academic concern checklists, university transcripts, and screening for hidden disabilities like ADHD and psychiatric conditions.
Main Results:
- Students with hidden disabilities demonstrated poorer academic performance compared to their non-disabled peers.
- Students diagnosed with ADHD exhibited the lowest academic achievement.
- High levels of distress were prevalent among students with hidden disabilities, potentially impacting their performance.
- Effective time management was identified as a key factor for academic success, regardless of disability status.
Conclusions:
- Hidden disabilities pose a significant risk to university students' academic success.
- Associated emotional and social challenges exacerbate academic difficulties, potentially leading to attrition.
- Intervention strategies addressing both the disability and its psychosocial impact are necessary to support at-risk students.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities are cognitive disorders caused by neurological impairments that affect cognitive functions like language and reading, without indicating overall intellectual or developmental challenges. These disabilities differ from global intellectual or developmental disabilities as they are limited to distinct cognitive functions. Common learning disabilities include dysgraphia, dyslexia, and dyscalculia, each of which impacts unique aspects of learning.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
01:29Reliability and Validity
Reliability and validity are two important considerations that must be made with any type of data collection. Reliability refers to the ability to consistently produce a given result. In the context of psychological research, this would mean that any instruments or tools used to collect data do so in consistent, reproducible ways.
02:09Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies
When we hold a stereotype about a person, we have expectations that he or she will fulfill that stereotype. A self-fulfilling prophecy is an expectation held by a person that alters his or her behavior in a way that tends to make it true. When we hold stereotypes about a person, we tend to treat the person according to our expectations. This treatment can influence the person to act according to our stereotypic expectations, thus confirming our stereotypic beliefs. Research by Rosenthal and...
01:29Intellectual Disability
Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning that manifest during the developmental period. This condition encompasses challenges in reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and learning, accompanied by impairments in everyday life skills, such as communication, self-care, and social interactions. Intellectual disability affects approximately 1% of the population in the United States, impacting an estimated 5...
01:14Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness
Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
01:12Hindsight Biases
Hindsight bias leads you to believe that the event you just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn’t. In other words, you knew all along that things would turn out the way they did. Can you relate this to the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" now?