Applied Behavior Analysis Commons^™

The Mediating Influence Of Role Stress On The Relationship Between Adult Attention Deficit And Self-Efficacy, Graeme H. Coetzer, Byron Hanson, Richard Trimble

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Business

Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (AAD) and stress are pervasive and significant experiences with harmful consequences for both employees and organizations as a whole. This research study proposes a network of significant relationships between AAD, role stress, and self-efficacy. Adults who are experiencing the core symptoms of AAD (difficulties with task activation, concentration, effort, emotional interference, and accessing memory) are less likely to manage their role effectively and develop selfefficacy. The correlations between AAD and both role stress (r = 0.49, p < 0.01) and self-efficacy (r = -0.32, p < 0.01) were statistically significant, as was the correlation between role stress and self-efficacy (r = -0.44, p < 0.01). The Sobel test (Z = 6.57, p < 0.00) provides support for the hypothesis that role stress mediates the relationship between AAD and self-efficacy. A significant partial correlation between AAD and self-efficacy (r = -0.15, p = 0.02) remains after inclusion of the mediator (role stress), which limits the finding to partial mediation. Future research needs to draw samples from a variety of work situations.