High school students who have trouble paying attention in class are more likely to admit to cheating, a new study shows.

Researchers found that inattention led to hyperactivity in the students, and both together contributed to higher levels of cheating.

The issue is important because many students with attention problems don’t get an official diagnosis, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, said Eric Anderman, lead author of the study and professor of educational psychology at The Ohio State University.

«Students diagnosed with ADHD get a lot of support and help in school, but many other kids with attention problems fall through the cracks,» Anderman said.

«They don’t get the help they need that could help them do better in school and avoid cheating.»

Anderman conducted the study with Richard Gilman of Terrace Metrics and Xingfeiyue Liu, a doctoral student, and Seung Yon Ha, a postdoctoral scholar, both in education at Ohio State. Their results were published recently in the journal Psychology in the Schools.

Story Source:
Materials provided by Ohio State University. Original written by Jeff Grabmeier. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.