ADHD symptoms and efficient learning strategies in college students: the parallel mediating roles of motivation and mind-wandering

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.