Exploring the Congruence and Discrepancy Between Self-Efficacy and Utility Value in Predicting Adolescents’ Academic Outcomes: A Study Using Polynomial Regression and Response Surface Analysis

• In Event: Contextual Influences on Motivation: Values, Beliefs, and Situational Dynamics

Abstract

Using polynomial regression with response surface analysis, we examined how the (in)congruence between students’ self-efficacy and utility value related to academic engagement and achievement in mathematics and English. Drawing on data from 1,639 Chinese adolescent students, we found that the joint effects of self-efficacy and utility value differed markedly by outcome type. Specifically, academic achievement was highest when self-efficacy exceeded utility value, underscoring the central role of self-efficacy in performance-driven contexts. In contrast, engagement peaked when both self-efficacy and utility value were high and aligned, highlighting the importance of motivational coherence for sustained learning engagement. These patterns were highly consistent across two subject domains, suggesting a generalizable distinction between the motivational conditions that foster achievement and those that support engagement.

Authors

• Chen Jing, East China Normal University

• Linjia Zhang, East China Normal University

• Yi Jiang, East China Normal University