Understanding the Social Costs of Academic Engagement

• In Event: 47.030 - Interpersonal Processes and Social Context of Learning

Abstract

Social costs, or the perceived cost to maintaining social status or maintaining the respect of valued others, are indicative of students being socially motivated to academically achieve. The association of students’ (n=262 undergraduates) perceived social costs to their academic pursuits and academic engagement were examined. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a two-factor model distinguishing cost to maintaining social status and cost to maintaining the respect of valued others. Academic engagement was negatively associated with the cost of maintaining social status but positively with the cost of maintaining the respect of valued others. Findings suggest that efforts to minimize the costs of maintaining social status and efforts to enhance costs of maintaining the respect of valued others may facilitate academic engagement.
 

Authors

• Nayssan Safavian, University of California - Irvine

• Marcus Lee Johnson, University of Cincinnati

• Gita Taasoobshirazi, Kennesaw State University