Born which Way? ADHD, Situational Self-Control, and Responsibility

Abstract

Debates concerning whether Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) mitigates responsibility often involve recourse to its genetic and neurodevelopmental etiology. For such arguments, individuals with ADHD have diminished self-control, and hence do not fully satisfy the control condition for responsibility, when there is a genetic or neurodevelopmental etiology for this diminished capacity. In this article, I argue that the role of genetic and neurobiological explanations has been overstated in evaluations of responsibility. While ADHD has genetic and neurobiological causes, rather than embrace the essentialistic notion that it directly diminishes self-control and, therefore, responsibility, we ought to think of ADHD as constraining only some self-control practices. In particular, situational self-control strategies remain feasible for people with ADHD. However, not all individuals have access to these strategies. I suggest a way to evaluate responsibility in terms of situational rather than agential pleas, which tracks whether the individual had access to self-control behaviors. While I restrict my discussion to ADHD, the access-based approach is also relevant for assessments of responsibility for other cases where self-control failures are at stake.

Diachronic and Externally-Scaffolded Self-Control in Addiction

“…Restrictive views of self-control identify exercises of selfcontrol narrowly with intrapsychic strategies that are synchronically employed (Baumeister, 2014;Holton, 2009;Levy, 2017;Sripada, 2020). Inclusive views, on the other hand, admit of various kinds of diachronic and externallyscaffolded strategies as falling within the purview of selfcontrol (Duckworth et al, 2016;Gillebaart & de Ridder, 2015;Heath & Anderson, 2010;Hofmann & Kotabe, 2012;Koi, 2021;Mele, 1987Mele, , 2003Vierkant, 2014).…”

“…Defenders of the restrictive view identify exercises of self-control with synchronic intrapsychic processes and argue that diachronic and externally-scaffolded strategies are not proper instances of self-control, but clever ways to avoid the need to exercise that ability (Baumeister, 2014;Holton, 2009;Levy, 2017;Sripada, 2020). In turn, defenders of the inclusive view of selfcontrol typically argue that we should construe self-control as more than effortful inhibition, and that, on grounds of functional equivalence, all these diverse strategies might be properly described as instances of self-control (Duckworth et al, 2016;Gillebaart & de Ridder, 2015;Heath & Anderson, 2010;Hofmann & Kotabe, 2012;Koi, 2021;Mele, 1987Mele, , 2003Vierkant, 2014).…”

Rational framing effects: A multidisciplinary case

“…The action-modulating force of the environment is also highlighted by pluralists about self-control who argue that self-control can be accomplished by a variety of means, including both intrapsychic means (construal/framing, inhibitory control, selfdistraction) and situation selection and situational modification (Duckworth, Gendler, & Gross, 2016;Koi, 2021a). Situational strategies, including situation selection and situation modification, can be used to decrease the salience of SS cues, and to add to the salience of cues promoting LL-conforming behaviors.…”

“…Considering the richness of our lived circumstances, where there is more actionable information than agents can feasibly process (Wu, 2011), the modulating effect of attentional processes on action should be unsurprising. Understanding this relationship also helps explain why disorders of attention, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, often result in difficulties in supposedly volitional processes, including self-control (Koi, 2021b).…”

“…These frames lead to opposing reactions, increasing cooperation in the group frame but decreasing cooperation in the individual frame. The unifying principle, in this case, is "help those under threat" (Weisel & Zultan, 2016, 2021a. In the group frame the perception is that the group is under threat, so group members help the group by increasing their contributions.…”