Relationship between Evaluating Usefulness Strategies and Utility Value: Focusing on the Distance between Subjects

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between the evaluating usefulness strategies for a specific subject and the usefulness value for another subject. University students (n=76) participated in a questionnaire survey. The results showed that when participants evaluated usefulness of the knowledge gained from an educational psychology class, they felt not only the utility value of educational psychology but also of the near subject which was similar to educational psychology. On the other hand, participants did not feel the utility value of a subject which was distantly related to educational psychology. This study implied that the evaluating usefulness strategies of a specific subject transfers to another closely related subject.