This study explored the cognitive mechanism behind information integration in the test anxiety judgments in 140 engineering students. An experiment was designed to test four factors combined (test goal orientation, test cognitive functioning level, test difficulty and test mode). The experimental task required participants to read 36 scenarios,…

Task-specific goals play a critical role in self-regulated learning, yet little research has examined students' self-set goals for authentic study sessions. We propose high-quality goals that are useful for guiding task engagement and evaluating progress are specific about (a) time, (b) actions, (c) standards, and (d) content. In Study 1, we…

Some people ascribe successful language learning to an innate aptitude that cannot be further developed, at least after a certain young age (i.e., an entity mindset), while other people believe that language learning ability can be improved (i.e., an incremental mindset). The purpose of this research is to (a) introduce the Language Mindsets…

Limited research has examined the mediational role of coping strategy in students' motivation and procrastination. In this study, we examined the relationships among self-efficacy, achievement goals, boredom coping strategies and procrastination with 506 Chinese college students. Data were collected via questionnaires. Structural equation…

Achieving goals often requires the completion of sequential actions, such as finishing a series of assignments to pass a class. In the course of pursuing such goals, people can decide how closely to follow their personal standards for each action. We propose that actions at the beginning and end of a sequence appear more diagnostic of the…

The motive to avoid success has been conceptualized as an ambivalence in life-goal directions, particularly characteristic of white college women. The presence or absence of the motive to avoid success was found to interact significantly with two experimental sets of instructions: Difficult vs. Easy (Experiment 1) and Internal vs. External…

Achievement striving is a central dimension of the Type A behavior pattern. To investigate the relationship between Type A behavior pattern, personal performance goals, and goal achievement on two general information tests, 126 undergraduates participated in a two-phase study. First, behavior patterns were assessed using the Framingham Type A…

Tested an expectations-based model of the cognitive processes leading to communication apprehension. Found that expectations are a significant predictor of communication apprehension as measured by self-reports. Also important were communicative goals and the interaction of expected outcome and goal importance. (PD)

This study examines and supports the hypothesis that diverse student behavior can be meaningfully and usefully construed when viewed from the single perspective described here as hedonism vs. the Protestant Ethic. Subjects were 1375 male and female undergraduate students. Anonymous questionnaires dealing with background, academic life, social and…

The term "conative" is used to describe constructs that span both motivational and volitional aspects of human behavior, distinguished from constructs that emphasize cognition and affection. Among the conative constructs are achievement strivings, beliefs about self-esteem and self-efficacy, interests and attitudes about learning,…