A Situated Expectancy-Value Perspective for Understanding ADHD in College Students

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Sunday 1:45 pm
  In Poster Session: Motivation, Mindset, and Self-Regulated Learning

Abstract

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties regulating attention, hyperactivity, and poor impulse control. Although ADHD includes motivational components, it has rarely been studied using the rich motivational theories of the educational psychology literature. The present mixed-methods study used Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT) to examine the differing experiences of 202 college students with (51%) and without (49%) ADHD. Using survey measures, students with ADHD reported lower expectancies for executive functioning and higher costs, but similar expectancies for mastery and value, compared to their non-ADHD peers. Thematic analysis of students’ ADHD-related struggles aligned with the literature on cost, indicating that SEVT may be a fruitful socio-cognitive framework to conceptualize the motivational landscape for students with ADHD.

Authors

• Victoria A Boldt, Reed College

• Jennifer Henderlong Corpus, Reed College