What Changes During Adolescence?

Find a therapist to support kids and teens

Academic engagement tends to decline during late adolescence and major educational transitions.

Research on Expectancy-Value Theory helps explain the motivation drop often labeled “senioritis.”

Senioritis may contain elements of both normal adolescent development and abnormal burnout.

Each spring, a predictable pandemic sweeps through high schools. Students suddenly start forgetting homework assignments and skipping class. Teachers report more blank stares, phones under desks, and declining grades.

The name for this shift: “senioritis.” The term is often used jokingly, but the underlying pattern is real. One survey found that 68% of high school seniors report decreased motivation in their final semester due to senioritis, and 82% of graduating seniors admit to skipping classes more frequently. The Oxford English Dictionary officially recognized the term in 2012.

Senioritis isn’t just laziness. It’s the predictable result of several well-studied psychological processes that collide during the final year of high school.

A Mismatch in Motivation

Research on academic motivation may explain the phenomenom. Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT), originally proposed by John William Atkinson in the 1950s and later expanded to educational psychology by Jacquelynne Eccles and colleagues, suggests that motivation depends on 2 key factors:

Expectancy: the likelihood of attaining a goal (do you expect to be successful at it?)

Value: the perceived value of a goal (is it worth doing?)

Per EVT, academic motivation is strongest when expectancy is high but not yet guaranteed, and when value is also high.

Senioritis disrupts this balance. In the spring of senior year, the expectancy of a high-school diploma and/or a desired college acceptance is typically already known. Thus, the subsequent value of schoolwork also collapses. The goal has psychologically been crossed—even if the semester isn’t over.

A Normal Developmental Transition

Senioritis may also coincide with a major developmental stage in adolescence, when young people begin forming their own identities and priorities. Developmental psychologist Erik Erikson defined adolescence by this central task as teens start to ask themselves, “Who am I?” and “What are my life goals?

Seen through this lens, senioritis may partly reflect the normal and healthy psychological work of identity formation. As graduation approaches, high school seniors naturally shift their attention from short-term academic tasks toward much bigger questions about their future roles, goals, and sense of self.

A Manifestation of Burnout

In many ways, then, senioritis is natural and expected. But parents and educators should also be aware of when senioritis is actually a sign of burnout. High-school seniors have spent years juggling at times heavy coursework, extracurricular activities, standardized tests, and college or job applications. By the time spring arrives, many are simply exhausted.

Though not well-studied, some surveys suggest that senioritis itself can increase anxiety and feelings of guiltiness in some students. Adolescent burnout also tends to increase during major educational transitions, such as preparing to leave high school.

Identifying and Treating Senioritis

When is senioritis something to worry about? When does it warrant treatment? Asking these basic questions can help guide if additional support is needed:

What Changes During Adolescence?

Find a therapist to support kids and teens

Is the senioritis distressing for the student?

Is it functionally impairing?

Has it led to negative consequences?

For parents or educators seeking ways to combat senioritis, there are several strategies to help students finish strong in the final months of high school:

Normalize the motivation slump. This reduces defensiveness and guilt.

Encourage conversations about future interests and goals, not just grades. This emphasizes forward thinking and self-identity.

Offer autonomy over project topics or presentation formats. This increases intrinsic motivation and the value of assignments.

Senioritis is often dismissed as laziness, but psychology tells a more interesting story. Understanding the science behind the phenomenon can help students and the adults around them navigate the final stretch of high school more successfully.

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