Perceived School Fairness and Academic Functioning in Early Adolescents: Differential Associations for Adolescents with or Without ADHD?

Although substantial research has focused on the academic outcomes of youth with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), less is known about factors that promote positive adaptation among these youth in the school setting. Perceived fairness, a subcomponent of school climate, is associated...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research on Child & Adolescent Psychopathology Vol. 54; no. 1; pp. 1 - 14
Main Authors: Martinez, Andrew C., Green, C. Danielle, Peugh, James L., Becker, Stephen P.
Format: Article
Published: Springer Nature Feb2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=191283535&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ssf
    uiTerm: 191283535
    longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        27307166
        MNIX
      jtl: Research on Child & Adolescent Psychopathology
      issn: 27307166
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: Feb2026
      vid: 54
      iid: 1
      pid: 237
      pub: Springer Nature
    artinfo:
      ui:
        191283535
        10.1007/s10802-025-01419-6
      ppf: 1
      ppct: 13
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Perceived School Fairness and Academic Functioning in Early Adolescents: Differential Associations for Adolescents with or Without ADHD?
      aug:
        au:
          Martinez, Andrew C.
          Green, C. Danielle
          Peugh, James L.
          Becker, Stephen P.
        affil:
          https://ror.org/01hcyya48 Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 10006, 45229-3039, Cincinnati, OH, USA
          https://ror.org/01e3m7079 Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
      keyword:
        Adolescence
        Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
        Education Specialist Studies In Education Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services
        Learning problems
        School climate
        Study skills
        Adolescence
        Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
        Education Specialist Studies In Education Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services
        Learning problems
        School climate
        Study skills
      ab: Although substantial research has focused on the academic outcomes of youth with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), less is known about factors that promote positive adaptation among these youth in the school setting. Perceived fairness, a subcomponent of school climate, is associated with improved academic functioning and may play an important role among youth with ADHD who have been shown to display heightened reactions to injustice. This study examined perceived fairness in relation to academic functioning in early adolescents and whether this association differed for adolescents with or without ADHD. Participants were 341 early adolescents (ages 10–12), with approximately half (48.7%) diagnosed with ADHD. Teachers completed measures of learning problems and study skills, and adolescents completed measures assessing perceived fairness and attitude to school. Students with ADHD perceived their school to be less fair than students without ADHD, though the effect size was small. Regression analyses controlling for adolescent medication use, demographic characteristics, and co-occurring psychopathology revealed significant main effects wherein higher levels of perceived fairness predicted lower negative attitude to school, and ADHD status predicted a more negative attitude to school and lower study skills. A significant perceived fairness × ADHD interaction was found in relation to learning problems, wherein higher perceived school fairness was more strongly associated with fewer learning problems for students with ADHD than for students without ADHD. These findings contribute to research exploring promotive factors among adolescents with and without ADHD and have implications for interventions aiming to improve academic functioning.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: N
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N