Effects of Motivational Regulation Strategies on College Students’ Individual Interests:Dependence on Specific Motivational Problems

Abstract

This study examined the influence of motivational regulatory strategies on individual interest (i.e., affect-related interest, value-related interest, and knowledge) through a comparison of different motivational problems (either low expectancies for success or low value). We hypothesized that strategies that specifically target task values would enhance individual interest in boring learning situations (low value), whereas strategies that specifically target self-efficacy would enhance interest in difficult situations (low expectancies for success). We conducted a short-term longitudinal survey among Japanese college students (N=572) to test this hypothesis. Results of the multi-group structural equation modeling analysis demonstrated that the enhancement of situational interest and self-reward strategies enhanced affect-related interest in boring learning situations, whereas the enhancement of self-efficacy strategy enhanced affect-related interest in difficult learning situations. These results partly support our hypothesis. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the study.