Does Viewing Bullying Violence Affect the Allocation of Attention in Young Adults?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Partnerships in Health and Education

Abstract

The current study experimentally tested the relationship between symptoms of inattention and vicarious experiences of bullying. Graduate and undergraduate students (n=150) were randomly assigned to view ordered videos of bullying, and after each video, symptoms of inattention, or selective attention, were assessed with the Stroop test. Heart rate was also recorded. The findings indicated symptoms of inattention increased with exposure to vicarious bullying and the effects were cumulative over time. The heart rate of participants appeared to mirror the symptoms of inattention, with heart rate increasing over the course of the experiment. There were no significant differences in reaction to vicarious bullying by sex. Implications of the findings include the need to assess experiences with bullying when diagnosing ADHD inattentive

Authors

• Tracey Nicole Sulak, Baylor University

• Terrill F. Saxon, Baylor University