An Expectancy-Value Approach to Exploring Motivation and Its Precursors Among Internationally Adopted Youth

• In Event: Poster Session 15
  In Poster Session: Motivation in Education SIG Poster Session 1

Abstract

Despite the large number of internationally adopted youth in the United States, little research has explored academic outcomes, especially motivation, within this population. Guided by expectancy-value theory, the current study investigated the role of ethnic identity in predicting expectancies and task values among internationally adopted youth (N = 264). Conditional process analyses revealed that feelings of affirmation towards one’s ethnic group played an important role in shaping motivation, but did so indirectly through perceptions of school belonging: heightened affirmation positively predicted belonging perceptions, which in turn led to more favorable expectancies and task values. Furthermore, ethnic identity affirmation was especially predictive of belonging for students who shared a racial/ethnic background with adoptive parent(s). Scholarly contributions and implications are discussed.

Authors

• Alison C. Koenka, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Eric M. Anderman, The Ohio State University

• Lynley H. Anderman, The Ohio State University

• Sungjun Won, The Ohio State University