Need for cognition and academic motivation as predictors of students’ achievement

According to the self-determination theory, behind the variety of motivation, there are just three (un)satisfied needs - for relatedness, competence and autonomy. There are also good theoretical and empirical reasons to assume that intrinsic motivation is, to a large extent, based on the need for cognition. In order to test incremental validity and mediating effects of intrinsic motivation and the need for cognition on academic achievement, many analyses of data from a previous investigation are performed. The data are generated applying the Scale of Academic Motivation for Students (SAM-SI) and the shortened Scale of the Need for Cognition (NFCS-S). The sample comprises 364 students of both gender (59% females), aged from 18 to 35 (M=20.05; SD=1.52). The predictors in hierarchical multiple regression analyses were some sociodemographic characteristics, the need for cognition and academic motivation, and the criteria, satisfaction with academic achievement and aspiration. Three complete structural models are tested through structural equation modelling. As significant predictors of achievement and aspiration, intrinsic motivation, amotivation and the need for cognition have been singled out. The results also indicate a significant mediating effect of intrinsic motivation via the need for cognition on academic achievement which contradicts the basic tenet of self-determination theory.

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Mối liên hệ giữa sự thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản, động lực học tập, và trì hoãn học tập ở sinh viên [The relationships between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, academic motivation, and academic procrastination among students]

10.31234/osf.io/2wjc6 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Quang Ngoc Nguyen ◽

Thuy-Tien Thi La ◽

Mai Thi Phan ◽

Thuy-Dung Ninh

Keyword(s):

Intrinsic Motivation ◽

Academic Motivation ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Basic Psychological Needs ◽

Self Determination ◽

Academic Procrastination ◽

Level Of Satisfaction ◽

Academic Motivations

Nghiên cứu được tiến hành dựa trên lý thuyết tự quyết nhằm tìm hiểu về mối liên hệ giữa sự thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản, động lực học tập, và trì hoãn trong học tập ở sinh viên. Mẫu nghiên cứu là mẫu thuận tiện với 341 sinh viên có độ tuổi trong khoảng từ 19 đến 26. Trong đó, nam chiếm 11.7% và nữ chiếm 88.3%. Mức độ thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản, các loại động lực học tập, và mức độ trì hoãn trong học tập được đo lường bởi các thang đo. Kết quả phân tích tương quan cho thấy trì hoãn trong học tập có tương quan nghịch chiều với các loại động lực học tập tự chủ và mức độ thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản. Phân tích đường dẫn cho thấy sự thỏa mãn nhu cầu gắn kết và nhu cầu tự chủ góp phần làm tăng sự thỏa mãn nhu cầu năng lực, qua đó làm giảm tình trạng thiếu động lực học tập đồng thời làm tăng động lực hướng đến thành tựu, và dẫn tới mức độ trì hoãn học tập thấp hơn. Các kết quả nghiên cứu ửng hộ giả thuyết của lý thuyết tự quyết về vai trò của việc đáp ứng các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản nhằm thúc đẩy động lực bên trong. [The study was conducted based on the self-determination theory to examine the relationships between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, academic motivation, and academic procrastination among students. The sample was a convenient ?one with 341 students aged between 19 and 26. In particular, males accounted for 11.7% and females accounted for 88.3%. The level of satisfaction of basic psychological needs, the types of academic motivation, and the level of academic procrastination were measured by several scales. The results of correlation analysis showed that the academic procrastination was negatively correlated with autonomous academic motivations and the level of the satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Path analysis showed that the satisfaction of relatedness and autonomy needs contributed to the satisfaction of competence need, thereby reducing amotivation and increasing intrinsic motivation towards achievement which lead to lower levels of academic procrastination. The findings supported the hypothesis of self-determination theory about the role of meeting basic psychological needs in order to promote intrinsic motivation.]

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The need for cognition within the academic motivation space

Zbornik Instituta za pedagoska istrazivanja ◽

10.2298/zipi1701007v ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 7-30

Author(s):

Aleksandar Vasic

Keyword(s):

Academic Motivation ◽

Need For Cognition ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Basic Psychological Needs ◽

The Self ◽

Self Determination ◽

Future Research ◽

Internal Motivation ◽

Cognition Scale

The self-determination theory presumes several types of motivation distributed along the theoretical continuum. On the other side, certain research studies point to the need for cognition which is the source of internal motivation, as one of the aforementioned types of motivation. This theoretical and conceptual closeness served as an impetus for the research conducted on the convenient sample of 364 students of both genders (59% of female respondents), aged 18 to 35 (M=20.05; SD=1.52). In generating the data, the Academic Motivation Scale for Students (AMS-SI) and the shortened version of the Need for Cognition Scale (NFCS-S) were used. During data analysis, we first checked the internal metric characteristics of the scales and quantitatively defined the features measured by these instruments. In locating the need for cognition within the academic motivation space, hierarchical multiple regression analysis and multidimensional scaling were used. Four valid and reliable dimensions of student academic motivation were defined as internal, introjected and external motivation, and amotivation. One dominant, reliable and valid main subject of measuring of the need for cognition scale was defined as well. In the common space of academic motivation and the need for cognition, internal motivation clearly stands out as the basic correlate of this need. Future research should further reexamine the assumption of the self-determination theory about three basic psychological needs vital for the development of motivation.

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Motivation to learn? An advanced exploratory study of learning motivation of Central-East European Business Students

Marketing & Menedzsment ◽

10.15170/mm.2021.55.02.03 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

pp. 27-35

Author(s):

Zsuzsanna Vitai ◽

Mariann Benke

Keyword(s):

Intrinsic Motivation ◽

Central Europe ◽

Extrinsic Motivation ◽

Academic Motivation ◽

Business Students ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Self Determination ◽

Motivation To Learn ◽

School Students ◽

East European

THE AIM OF THE PAPER We used self-determination theory to examine the motivation of business school students in Hungary. The research aimed to clarify whether extrinsic or intrinsic motivation or both dominates learning intentions among these students. Although student motivation to learn has been studying extensively, there is an absence of research evidence using this framework in Central-Eastern European higher education. Given the increasing prominence of the region in global geo-political and business affairs, this absence of understanding is important to correct. METHODOLOGY Our questionnaire-based study shows a strong link between some forms of extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation, along with evidence for the coexistence of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators in the same person. We used a modified version of Vallerand et al. (1992-1993) motivation-survey the “Academic Motivation Scale AMSC-28”. We added 11 plus questions to the questionnaire. The empirical research was a confirmative study about self-determination theory. The methodology used was descriptive statistics, correspondence, and correlation analysis. The size of the sample was 471. The purpose of our study was to check if the theory of Deci and Ryan are valid on the students of a university in Central Europe. MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS The purpose of our study was to check how the theory of Deci and Ryan applies to the students of a university in Central Europe. The results of the research highlight that the students could have both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation at the same time and intrinsic motivation is not the only type of motivation that could lead to good performance in learning and other activities. RECOMMENDATIONS The findings could help to evaluate currently used motivational strategies for students and to stimulate further research on the subject usinűg the framework of self-determination theory. Acknowlwdgements: The authors would like to thank Professor John Schermerhorn and Professor Gábor Rappai for their valuable comments and critique in writing this article. With the support of the EFOP-3.6.3-VEKOP-16-2017-00007 project.

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Influence of Goal Contents on Exercise Addiction: Analysing the Mediating Effect of Passion for Exercise

Journal of Human Kinetics ◽

10.1515/hukin-2017-0154 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 59 (1) ◽

pp. 143-153 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Álvaro Sicilia ◽

Manuel Alcaraz-Ibáñez ◽

María-Jesús Lirola ◽

Rafael Burgueño

Keyword(s):

Health Management ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Social Recognition ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Self Determination ◽

Mediating Effects ◽

Management Skill ◽

Exercise Frequency ◽

Obsessive Passion ◽

Exercise Addiction

AbstractBased on the self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985, 2000), the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise goal contents on exercise addiction, taking into account the mediating effects of passion for exercise. A total of 384 university students (284 men and 100 women; Mage = 20.31, SD = 3.10) completed a questionnaire that measured exercise frequency and intensity, exercise goal contents (e.g. intrinsic: social affiliation, health management, skill development; extrinsic: image and social recognition), passion for exercise (e.g. harmonious and obsessive), and exercise addiction. After controlling the exercise frequency and intensity effects, results showed that goal contents did not directly predict exercise addiction. However, mediation analysis showed that goal contents predicted addiction through passion for exercise. These results support a motivational sequence in which extrinsic versus intrinsic goals influence exercise addiction because such goals are positively associated with obsessive passion for exercise and negatively associated with harmonious passion.

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Examining the Validity of the Academic Motivation Scale by Comparing Scale Construction to Self-Determination Theory

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.2000.86.2.560 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 86 (2) ◽

pp. 560-564 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Kevin O. Cokley

Keyword(s):

Intrinsic Motivation ◽

Negative Correlation ◽

Extrinsic Motivation ◽

Academic Motivation ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Scale Construction ◽

Self Determination ◽

Academic Motivation Scale ◽

Motivation Scale ◽

Identified Regulation

This study examined the construct validity of the Academic Motivation Scale. Specifically, subscale correlations were examined to assess whether support for a continuum of self-determination would be provided. The three types of Intrinsic Motivation were significantly and positively correlated with each other .67, .62, and .58, while the three types of Extrinsic Motivation were significantly and positively intercorrelated .50, .49, and .45. The former subscales, however, correlated higher with Introjected Regulation than Identified Regulation, suggesting that Introjected Regulation may be indicative of more self-determined behavior than has previously been believed. Also, the Intrinsic Motivation To Accomplish subscale had a stronger relationship with two of the Extrinsic Motivation subscales, Identified Regulation and Introjected Regulation, than did the Extrinsic Motivation subscales with each other. This suggests that the differences between Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation are not as obvious as has been believed. Also, contrary to self-determination theory, Amotivation had a stronger negative correlation with Identified Regulation ( r = −.31) than with any of the Intrinsic Motivation subscales ( rs = −.27, −.19, and –.11).

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Can Physical Education Contribute to Learning English? Structural Model from Self-Determination Theory

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10103613 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 3613 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Antonio Baena-Extremera ◽

Antonio Granero-Gallegos ◽

Raúl Baños ◽

María Ortiz-Camacho

Keyword(s):

Physical Education ◽

Intrinsic Motivation ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Model ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Basic Psychological Needs ◽

Self Determination ◽

Locus Of Causality

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze a model of prediction of satisfaction with bilingual physical education from basic psychological needs and motivation. Methods: The sample consisted of 758 students (347 men and 411 women) in secondary education in Spain, aged between 13 years and 18 years (M = 15.22, SD = 1.27). Questionnaires of the Scale of Psychological Basic Needs, Perceived Locus of Causality, and the bilingual Scale Satisfaction Instrument (SSI-PE), all adapted to physical education were used in the exercise. Results: Descriptive analyses, correlation and structural equation models were performed. Intrinsic motivation showed a high and positive relationship with identity regulation and satisfaction/fun, and boredom negatively correlated with all scales except amotivation. Conclusion: The equations in this model prove that autonomy is the best predictor of intrinsic motivation, and that this is the best predictor of satisfaction in bilingual physical education.

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Challenge Demands, Hindrance Demands, and Psychological Need Satisfaction

Journal of Personnel Psychology ◽

10.1027/1866-5888/a000122 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 70-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Simon L. Albrecht

Keyword(s):

Work Engagement ◽

Job Demands ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Structural Equations ◽

Need Satisfaction ◽

Self Determination ◽

Job Resources ◽

Mediating Effects ◽

Psychological Need ◽

Practical Implications

The job demands-resources (JD-R) model provides a well-validated account of how job resources and job demands influence work engagement, burnout, and their constituent dimensions. The present study aimed to extend previous research by including challenge demands not widely examined in the context of the JD-R. Furthermore, and extending self-determination theory, the research also aimed to investigate the potential mediating effects that employees’ need satisfaction as regards their need for autonomy, need for belongingness, need for competence, and need for achievement, as components of a higher order needs construct, may have on the relationships between job demands and engagement. Structural equations modeling across two independent samples generally supported the proposed relationships. Further research opportunities, practical implications, and study limitations are discussed.

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