Does ADHD Occur More in a Particular Hair Color?

Overview

Objectives/Goals The goal of this experiment is to determine if there is a scientific link between hair color and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). If there is a link between hair color and ADHD, this information could help in an earlier diagnosis of ADHD. It might also help explain scientifically why there are some stereotypes involving hair color, such as "blondes are dumber", if it was found that blondes have a shorter attention span. Methods/Materials An assessment tool frequently used to help diagnose the presence of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and/or Hyperactivity (HA) was distributed to approximatley 903 middle school students. The frequency of ADD and HA by hair color was determined. The materials used were a questionnaire for respondents to identify their hair color, an ADHD assessment tool, an instruction sheet to teachers, a collection box for completed surveys, and an Excel spreadsheet. Results People with blonde or brown hair had a very similar incident rate of ADD and/or HA (approximately 5%), and people with black hair have a much lower incident rate (approximately 2%). Conclusions/Discussion The incident rate of ADD and HA does not vary among people with blonde or brown hair, but knowing that it is lowest in people with black hair might help in the screening and diagnosis of ADHD.

Competition history

• CSEF 2007 Behavioral & Social Sciences · Entry J0308

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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