Meta-Motivational Knowledge of the Benefits of Construal Level Predicts Academic Performance

• In Event: Expanding the Role of Metamotivational Knowledge in Academic Self-Regulation

Abstract

Objectives
Past work demonstrates that people have metamotivational knowledge—i.e., recognize how to regulate their motivational states to fit the task at-hand (Scholer & Miele, 2016). We examine whether an aspect of this knowledge predicts consequential academic outcomes.

Theoretical Framework
Research suggests that metamotivation, which involves the monitoring and control of motivational states—may play a critical role in determining the success or failure of people’s self-regulatory efforts (see Miele et al., 2020; Scholer et al., 2018). Recent work (Nguyen et al., 2019) shows that people have metamotivational knowledge of the benefits of high-level and low-level construal (i.e., motivation orientations toward abstract or concrete features of events, respectively). Specifically, people understand that high-level construal promotes self-control (i.e., the prioritization of long-term over short-term motivations; Fujita, 2011) whereas low-level construal promotes contextual sensitivity and precision (e.g., performance on a picture completion task; Wakslak et al., 2006). We extend this work and examine whether metamotivational knowledge predicts academic performance among college students.

Methods
In the present study, a final sample of 368 introductory psychology students (from two different semesters) completed an assessment of their knowledge of the benefits of construal level. We presented students with 16 scenarios describing tasks that benefit from high-level construal or tasks that benefit from low-level construal. For each scenario, students rated to what extent they would prefer to engage in high-level vs. low-level construal to prepare themselves for each task. We also measured potential correlates of grades (academic value, academic ability, previous academic success, gender, age, major). Students’ final course grades were obtained at the end of the corresponding semester.

Results
Given that results were not moderated by semester, we present combined results to provide the most robust interpretation of the data. Overall, students preferred to engage in high-level construal vs. low-level construal in preparation for high-level tasks vs. low-level tasks, respectively, F(1, 367) = 326.46, p < .001, ηp2 = .47. Thus, students had accurate metamotivational knowledge of the benefits of construal level. Importantly, individual differences in the normative accuracy of students’ total metamotivational knowledge were significantly correlated with final course grades (r = .18, p = .001); and this association remained significant when accounting for other predictors of academic performance (academic value, academic ability, previous academic success, gender, age, major; see Table 1.1). Moreover, individual differences in the normative accuracy of students’ specific knowledge of the benefits of high- and low-level construal were independent predictors of grades in a separate analysis (see Table 1.2).

Significance
Two studies revealed that metamotivational knowledge is a source of self-regulation success in the classroom, beyond other correlates of academic performance. Additionally, knowledge of both high-level and low-level construal independently predicted grades, suggesting the value of knowing when to shift flexibly between two motivational strategies to address different tasks. This work highlights the importance of examining the development of metamotivational knowledge, especially with respect to designing interventions to teach students when to use which motivational strategy. Doing so may provide students with the motivational skillset to achieve their goals.

Authors

• Tina Nguyen, The Ohio State University

• Abigail A. Scholer, University of Waterloo

• David B. Miele, Boston College

• Kentaro Fujita, The Ohio State University