Measuring Cost in the Learning Context: Scale Development and Initial Validation

• In Event: Poster Session 1
  In Poster Session: Motivation in Education SIG Poster Session 1

Abstract

Cost is an important determinant of avoidance motivation. Unfortunately, it has been largely overlooked in the empirical literature. Recently, the issue of cost has attracted growing interest among researchers, but there still lacks a reliable and valid scale that captures the core mechanism of and covers the multiple facets of cost. In this study, a new scale of cost (four sub-scales named effort cost, opportunity cost, ego cost, and emotional cost, with 3 items for each sub-scale) was developed through comprehensive processes, including both content alignment and empirical tests. The new cost scales have displayed strong psychometric properties and demonstrated measurement invariance across gender and grade. Findings also suggest an independent relationship between cost and task value.

Authors

• Yi Jiang, Korea University

• Sung-Il Kim, Korea University

• Mimi Bong, Korea University