Most parents are willing to take on a lot for their children. But how far do parents actually go for the success of their offspring? Some certainly "too far", one would like to say regarding a recent study. Together, WiSo-Researcher Dr. Sebastian Sattler (Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology (ISS)) and his colleague Philipp Linden (University of Siegen) investigated what leads parents to give healthy children prescription drugs with active ingredients such as methylphenidate in order to increase their academic and extracurricular performance.
To this end, Dr. Sattler and Mr. Linden investigated factors that encourage or discourage parents from increasing mental performance in healthy children through medication.
While methylphenidate is actually prescribed for the treatment of diseases such as ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), studies suggest that even healthy people can benefit from such drugs and boost their mental performance. However, the research situation on the effect in healthy children is limited. The extent to which parents are willing to administer such drugs to children is hardly researched.
Through an online experiment, Sebastian Sattler and Phillip Linden asked nearly 1,400 American parents of school-aged children to imagine a fictional situation in which another 12-year-old healthy child hopes to win a spelling competition. Such competitions are particularly popular among students in the USA and can lead to high prize money. Among other things, the researchers experimentally varied the description of the situation and the information, so that in some situations a high prize money was awarded and in others a low prize money was given. Information on the drugs was also varied, such as the likelihood and strength of possible side effects. Because each parent assessed four different situations, the researchers were able to evaluate nearly 5,500 responses.
The results show that the majority of parents categorically reject such drugs in children. However, in 40% of the situations there was at least a low willingness to try to win the competition and the prize money with the help of drugs. Some parents were even very willing to give children medication to win.
Advocating the inhibition threshold for medications was particularly low when the prize money was high, when side effects were less likely or less severe – but even if they would have to pay little for the drugs.
While "properties" of the situation had an impact, the researchers were able to show that parents with certain personality traits were also more likely to administer drugs. Machiavellian-oriented people, whose behaviour is characterised by manipulative thinking, strong self-interest and a low attachment to morals, were not only generally more willing to give children drugs to win the competition, but they also reacted more strongly to financial incentives – that is, the prize money. Threatening side effects, however, deterred them more. In addition, the researchers showed that parents who had already used such drugs themselves in the past (at least about 15%) or had given their children such medications (just under 7%), were more willing to administer a drug to the child in the situation. Women and older respondents were less willing to do so.
For Sebastian Sattler and Phillip Linden, the results are cause for concern. "A minority of parents seem to be increasingly engaged in intensive parenting, accompanied by a competitive mindset and driven by a desire to optimise their children's future prospects and to exceed the norm of age-appropriate developmental benefits," their study states. Children are a highly vulnerable group to the resulting abuse. "I found this topic particularly interesting because the examination of the parents and their underlying decision-making does not relate to their own drug use, but to the decisions they make for their children," explains Sebastian Sattler.
Although broader studies are needed in the future, the results now available contain some implications, because children should be protected in order to grow up creatively and without excessive pressure to perform. Therefore, doctors should inform of the possible health risks of such medically unneeded drug revenues. Health authorities should also provide a stronger moral understanding, as such medication intake could lead to unfair benefits.
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