“Easily Distracted”: A Thematic Analysis of College Students’ Attentional Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulated Learning

• In Event: Motivation, Belonging, and Help-Seeking in Academic Contexts

Abstract

This qualitative study explored college students’ perceptions of attentional self-efficacy (ASE) and the strategies they use to focus while studying. Drawing on Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) theory as a guiding framework, the study examined students’ beliefs about their ability to control attention, a key motivational component of SRL. Open-ended survey responses collected from 48 undergraduate students were thematically analyzed to identify patterns in ASE and SRL. Students reported low, high, and conditional ASE beliefs. Many reported using self-regulatory strategies to manage distractions and sustain attention, while others noted challenges. Findings offer insight into how students experience attentional control and focus in modern, digitally distractive study contexts.

Authors

• Bridget K. Daleiden, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Lisa D. Bendixen, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Kendall Hartley, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Abraham Flanigan, Georgia Southern University