ADHD symptoms and efficient learning strategies in college students: the parallel mediating roles of motivation and mind-wandering.
4 affiliations
- 1School of Mental Health, North Sichuan Medical University, Nanchong, China.
- 2School of Management, North Sichuan Medical University, Nanchong, China.
- 3School of Clinical Medicine, North Sichuan Medical University, Nanchong, China.
- 4School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, North Sichuan Medical University, Nanchong, China.
Abstract
A questionnaire survey was conducted among college students from a university in Sichuan Province to examine the relationship between ADHD symptoms and the use of efficient learning strategies, with a focus on the parallel mediating roles of learning motivation and mind-wandering. Of the 919 questionnaires distributed, 730 valid responses (N = 730) were retained for analysis. Structural equation modeling with bootstrap confidence intervals indicated that learning motivation and mind-wandering acted as parallel mediators in the relationship between ADHD symptoms and strategy use, with both learning motivation and mind-wandering showing negative indirect effects (learning motivation: β = -0.130, 95% CI [-0.196, -0.061]; mind-wandering: β = -0.107, 95% CI [-0.198, -0.027]). The direct effect of ADHD symptoms on strategy use was non-significant (β = -0.056, 95% CI [-0.160, 0.053]), whereas both indirect effects were statistically significant, albeit with small-to-moderate effect sizes. These findings contribute to understanding the associated mechanisms of academic difficulties in college students with elevated ADHD symptoms, particularly highlighting the dual pathways of motivation and mind-wandering. The study offers tentative theoretical implications and suggests directions for future intervention research (e.g., motivational reinforcement, attentional training); given the small-to-moderate absolute magnitudes of the indirect effects, these practical implications should be interpreted with caution pending replication.
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BibTeX
@article{yang2026adhd,
title = {{ADHD symptoms and efficient learning strategies in college students: the parallel mediating roles of motivation and mind-wandering.}},
author = {Li Yang and Ximing Wang and Anni Liu and Xinni Li and Weiqi Peng and Cheer Muer},
journal = {Frontiers in psychology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1830674},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42908626},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - ADHD symptoms and efficient learning strategies in college students: the parallel mediating roles of motivation and mind-wandering.
AU - Li Yang
AU - Ximing Wang
AU - Anni Liu
AU - Xinni Li
AU - Weiqi Peng
AU - Cheer Muer
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Frontiers in psychology
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1830674
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42908626
AB - A questionnaire survey was conducted among college students from a university in Sichuan Province to examine the relationship between ADHD symptoms and the use of efficient learning strategies, with a focus on the parallel mediating roles of learning motivation and mind-wandering. Of the 919 questionnaires distributed, 730 valid responses (N = 730) were retained for analysis. Structural equation modeling with bootstrap confidence intervals indicated that learning motivation and mind-wandering acted as parallel mediators in the relationship between ADHD symptoms and strategy use, with both learning motivation and mind-wandering showing negative indirect effects (learning motivation: β = -0.130, 95% CI [-0.196, -0.061]; mind-wandering: β = -0.107, 95% CI [-0.198, -0.027]). The direct effect of ADHD symptoms on strategy use was non-significant (β = -0.056, 95% CI [-0.160, 0.053]), whereas both indirect effects were statistically significant, albeit with small-to-moderate effect sizes. These findings contribute to understanding the associated mechanisms of academic difficulties in college students with elevated ADHD symptoms, particularly highlighting the dual pathways of motivation and mind-wandering. The study offers tentative theoretical implications and suggests directions for future intervention research (e.g., motivational reinforcement, attentional training); given the small-to-moderate absolute magnitudes of the indirect effects, these practical implications should be interpreted with caution pending replication.
SN - 1664-1078
ER -