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How do Executive Functions and Delay Aversion Impact Grades in University Students with ADHD Symptoms?

Stokke, Katrine Marit (2025) How do Executive Functions and Delay Aversion Impact Grades in University Students with ADHD Symptoms? Master thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationship between inattentive attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and academic success, measured by grade point average (GPA), through examining the mediating roles of executive functions (EF) and delay aversion (DAv) on this relationship. Method: An online survey was conducted on a total of 371 university students, with self-report questionnaires measuring inattentive ADHD symptoms, executive functioning difficulties, and delay aversion. The data was analyzed using a structural equation modeling (SEM) mediation analysis in JASP to assess potential mediating effects. Results: The results revealed a significant full mediating effect of EF on the relationship between inattentive ADHD symptoms and GPA. However, DAv did not show a significant mediating effect, suggesting that further research into the connection between DAv and academic performance in students with inattentive ADHD symptoms is necessary. Conclusion: Our findings show that EF may be a central factor of academic success in university students with inattentive ADHD symptoms, suggesting a potential value in adapting teaching approaches to better support students with these difficulties. In contrast, our assumptions regarding DAv were not supported, indicating that other factors, ones not included in our model, may have mitigated its effects on academic performance. Additionally, limitations related to sample characteristics, such as convenience sampling and a homogenous sample, and the DAv measure, which was measured in an everyday context rather than an academic one, may have affected the outcome. Further research should investigate DAv in alternative contexts, with different methodological strategies. Keywords: ADHD, inattentive ADHD, delay aversion, executive functions, university students, academic success

Item Type: Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name: Garcia Pimenta, M.
Degree programme: Psychology
Differentiation route/Track: Clinical Neuropsychology (CN) [Master Psychology]
Date Deposited: 06 Aug 2025 07:48
Last Modified: 06 Aug 2025 07:48
URI: http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5823

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