Inattention or Invention? Examining ADHD through a Culture and Personality Perspective

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a worldwide condition with diverse approaches toward defining, diagnosing, and treating. This variance is explained through a country's perspective of ADHD and whether it is a biological disorder or a manifestation of cultural conditioning and interpretation of behavior. Following the anthropological Culture and Personality perspective, this paper analyzes ADHD through a lens that considers social/environmental influences. To investigate ADHD through this lens, both on line and print resources were used. Additionally, two interviews were conducted to observe whether culture influences ADHD diagnosis, treatment, and further manifestation. Overall, this paper does not claim that ADHD is not real, but it simply wishes to examine the disorder through a Culture and Personality perspective.