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Poster #45 - Children’s Mastery Motivation is Associated with their Developmental Trajectories

Sat, March 25, 8:30 to 9:15am, Salt Palace Convention Center, Floor: 1, Hall A-B

Abstract

Introduction: Mastery motivation can be defined as children’s “intrinsic drive” to explore their environment and to persist engaging in challenging skills or tasks (Morgan et al., 2020); previous research suggested that mastery motivation remains consistent throughout infancy and early childhood (Huang & Lay, 2017). One might argue that the child’s tendency to persevere in practicing challenging skills should positively affect their development in various domains (e.g., motor, language, and cognitive). However, previous research relating children’s mastery motivation to early developmental trajectories is nearly non-existent.
Methods: Participants were 40 children (24 males) with motor delays, 7-16 months prematurity-corrected age at baseline (M=10.93, SD=2.56 months). Children’s means-end problem-solving (MEPS) learning and performance were assessed at the baseline visit, and 1.5, 3, 6, 12 months post-baseline using the MEPS Assessment Tool (MEPSAT; Cunha et al., 2021); cognitive, language, and motor skills were evaluated using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III; Bayley, 2006) at the baseline visit, and 3, 6, 12 months post-baseline; mastery motivation was measured with the preschool version of the Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire (DMQ-18; Morgan et al., 2019) at 36 months post-baseline (M=52.46, SD=5.10 months). The developmental trajectories for problem solving, cognitive, language, and motor development were related to children’s level of mastery motivation (MM; low vs. high) using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) software.
Results: Significant differences were found between children with low vs. high mastery motivation in their early developmental trajectories for MEPS learning (MM: t(38)=2.72, SE=0.09, p=.010) and MEPS performance (MM: t(38)=3.13, SE=1.41, p=.003; Age*MM: t(38)=-2.12, SE=0.09, p=.040). Across age, children with high mastery motivation showed more advanced MEPS learning and performance than their peers with low mastery motivation. Similarly, significant differences were identified between children with low vs. high mastery motivation in early developmental trajectories for cognitive skills (Age*MM: t(38)=2.27, SE=0.24, p=.029), receptive language (MM: t(38)=-2.28, SE=1.60, p=.028; Age*MM: t(118)=2.57, SE=0.15, p=.012), expressive language (MM: t(38)=-3.15, SE=2.07, p=.003; Age*MM: t(38)=3.76, SE=0.17, p<.001), and fine motor skills (MM: t(38)=2.86, SE=1.50, p=.007). Across age, children exhibiting high mastery motivation outperformed their peers with low mastery motivation on all of these skills. Also, a significantly steeper developmental change across the first two years of life was detected in children with high mastery motivation compared to those with low mastery motivation in cognitive and language skills. No differences were found between children with low vs. high mastery motivation in their early developmental trajectories for gross motor skills (MM: t(38)=1.14, SE=1.77, p=.261).
Conclusion: Current results suggested that, across the first two years of life, children later identified as having greater mastery motivation consistently outperform their peers with lower mastery motivation in multiple developmental domains – fine motor, language, and cognitive. Future research should clarify the directionality of this relation: whether the intrinsic high mastery motivation sets children on more advanced developmental trajectories or early advances in different skills stimulate children’s interest and an increase in children’s mastery motivation.

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