Dissecting Motivational Processes Shaped by a Utility-Value Intervention in Chemistry: A Piecewise Growth Curve Analysis

• In Event: New Opportunities in Motivation and Emotion Research Through Advanced Statistics

Abstract

Purpose: Utility-value interventions (UVIs) have shown considerable promise in enhancing interest and persistence in STEM (Rosenzweig et al., 2022) and are frequently implemented in gateway STEM courses to combat motivational declines and course dropout (Benden & Lauermann, 2022; Beymer & Rosenzweig, 2023). However, the psychological mechanisms through which UVIs exert their effects in different contexts are still not well understood (Harackiewicz & Priniski, 2018; Rosenzweig et al., 2022).
This study investigated the effects of a UVI embedded in weekly diary surveys completed by students in a gateway chemistry course over 13 weeks. Piecewise growth curve analyses (PGCA; Figure 1) examined motivational changes linked to the intervention across three segments of the semester (between midterm exams). The PGCA explored whether the intervention effects unfolded over time, remained stable, or emerged at different time points and rates. We examined different intervention channels, considering that UVIs can affect multiple task values (e.g., utility and interest, Hulleman et al., 2010) and may lead to unintended increases in perceived costs, possibly due to increased effort (Gaspard et al., 2021). We explored multi-channel UVI effects on the development of students’ interest, importance, and cost values across the semester.

Method: Students (N=1,390) in a gateway chemistry course were randomly assigned to a UVI or a control condition. Over 13 weeks, the UVI group reflected on how weekly course material relates to their lives. Students rated their weekly interest, importance value, and perceived costs and reported their end-of-term interest in chemistry and STEM career aspirations. Instructors provided performance data. PGCA (Figure 1) examined motivational changes between midterm exams. The intercepts of each “growth curve piece” captured intervention effects after each midterm exam (Figure 2). Control variables included gender, first-generation (FG) status, underrepresented minority (URM) status, and high-school GPA.
Results/Discussion:
Preliminary Analyses. Controlling for background characteristics, the UVI positively predicted students’ average weekly interest (β = .05*) and negatively their perceived cost (β = -.08**). Using a one-sided significance test for directional hypotheses (p < .10), positive associations also emerged for end-of-term chemistry interest (β = .05+) and STEM career aspirations (β = .05+). No differences in importance value or exam performance emerged.
Main Analyses. Unconditional PGCAs indicated that students’ values declined significantly (and cost increased) across all three estimated slopes (Figure 2). UVI students reported significantly higher post-exam interest and experienced slightly smaller declines in interest at the beginning of the semester (Tables 1a-1b). UVI students also experienced lower costs, but the rate at which their costs increased was comparable across the UVI and control conditions. Higher interest, importance value, and lower costs during the semester predicted higher end-of-term chemistry interest and STEM career aspirations. Weekly motivations mediated the UVI effects on these outcomes, with small effects (βs ≤ .02*). Thus, the UVI was effective in inducing interest and reducing costs. It led to mean-level motivational differences but did not affect the rate of motivational decline, except for initial interest declines. The cost-reducing effects persisted throughout the semester. PGCA allowed us to dissect motivational processes shaped by the UVI.

Authors

• Fani Lauermann, University of Bonn

• Patrick N. Beymer, University of Cincinnati

• Daria Katharina Benden, University of Bonn