Is Variety the Spice of Successful Intervention? Comparing Personal and Interpersonal Utility Value Assignments

• In Event: 49.067 - Innovation in Research: Motivation Interventions in Education

Abstract

Finding personal relevance in course material can improve students’ interest and performance, but can finding relevance for others be beneficial as well? We conducted a randomized field experiment in which 576 college biology students wrote three essays relating course material to their own lives and/or letters relating the material to close others. Students who wrote a variety of essays and letters generated more utility value in their assignments and earned higher course grades than students who wrote only essays or letters. In order to investigate the mechanisms behind self- and other-focused utility value writing we coded the essays and letters for personal and interpersonal utility value and self-referencing. Preliminary results suggest that both types of utility value have positive effects.

Authors

• Stacy J. Priniski, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Elizabeth Ann Canning, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Yoi Tibbetts, University of Wisconsin

• Judith Harackiewicz, University of Wisconsin