Michlewicz, Jadwiga (2024) Why Do Motivated Students Perform Better? Hyperfocus as a Potential Mediator Between Intrinsic Motivation and Academic Performance. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Intrinsic motivation is a well-established predictor of academic performance in university students, but little is known about the cognitive or behavioral processes that lead intrinsically motivated students to perform better. We suggested hyperfocus (an intense state of focus to the point of ignoring the outside world and one’s personal needs) to be a mediator between intrinsic motivation and academic performance. Although hyperfocus is a largely understudied phenomenon, there are some theoretical assumptions suggesting that it might be predicted by intrinsic motivation and predict academic performance. In this study, we aimed to test these assumptions and hypothesized hyperfocus to be a mediator between intrinsic motivation and academic performance. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey (N = 594) among Bachelor of Psychology students of mostly Dutch and German nationality. The survey included scales measuring academic intrinsic motivation and school hyperfocus, while participants’ grades were accessed directly from the university system. The results showed that even though intrinsic motivation was positively associated with both academic performance and hyperfocus, hyperfocus did not mediate the relationship between intrinsic motivation and academic performance, nor was it associated with academic performance. Our study provided novel evidence about intrinsic motivation as a potential antecedent of hyperfocus and questioned the theoretical assumptions of hyperfocus as a predictor of academic performance. The study contributed to knowledge about hyperfocus and its connections with intrinsic motivation and academic performance. The findings can serve as a basis for interventions to increase students’ performance. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Garcia Pimenta, M. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | None [Bachelor Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Jan 2024 13:30 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Jan 2024 13:30 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3033 |
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