Abstract Academic procrastination can theoretically be conceptualized as a failure in motivational self-regulation. It can be assumed that besides the mere use of motivational regulation strategies, fitting motivational regulation strategies with the current motivational problem can also have beneficial effects on academic procrastination. As both academic procrastination and motivational regulation can be conceptualized as over time fluctuating and situation-specific behaviors, not only trait, but also state fractions of these constructs have to be considered. To elucidate the interrelations between academic procrastinatory behavior and motivational regulation, we therefore examined trait use, state use, trait fit, and state fit of motivational regulation strategies. To test their relevance for academic procrastinatory behavior, we conducted two longitudinal and situation-specific diary studies with 128 and 218 university students. Results of growth curve modeling indicate that academic procrastinatory behavior varies between persons, declines during exam preparation, and can be reduced by using well-fitting motivational regulation strategies. Specifically, both trait and state strategy fit were negatively associated with academic procrastinatory behavior, while mere strategy use was not.
The intraindividual process of study dropout, from forming dropout intention to deregistration, is of motivational nature. Yet typical studies investigate interindividual differences, which do not inform about intraindividual processes. Our study focused on the intraindividual process of forming dropout intention, and applied expectancy-value theory to analyze its motivational underpinnings. To expand research, we considered associations of intraindividual deviations in expectancy, intrinsic val...
Last. Markus Dresel(University of Augsburg)H-Index: 19
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Abstract. For learners, motivational regulation represents a daily challenge in terms of initiating, increasing and maintaining motivation. Crucial here is conditional knowledge about which motivat...
Last. Kentaro Fujita(OSU: Ohio State University)H-Index: 24
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Research on self-regulation has primarily focused on how people exert control over their thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Less attention has been paid to the ways in which people manage their motivational states in the service of achieving valued goals. In this article, we explore an emerging line of research that focuses on people’s beliefs about their own motivation (i.e., their metamotivational knowledge), as well as the influence these beliefs have on their selection of regulatory strategie...
Last. Markus Dresel(University of Augsburg)H-Index: 19
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Procrastination can theoretically be conceived of as a motivational self-regulatory failure and is assumed to be a risk factor of college dropout in the higher education context. It was hypothesized that students’ procrastination and college dropout intentions are closely related with their motivational regulation—in terms of the effectiveness of their efforts to self-regulate their motivation and in terms of the strategic knowledge behind the actual regulation attempts (conditional knowledge ab...
Last. Thomas Brothen(UMN: University of Minnesota)H-Index: 13
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Procrastination is among the most common of motivational failures, putting off despite expecting to be worse off. We examine this dynamic phenomenon in a detailed and realistic longitudinal design (Study 1) as well as in a large correlational data set (N = 7400; Study 2). The results are largely consistent with temporal motivation theory. People's pacing style reflects a hyperbolic curve, with the steepness of the curve predicted by self-reported procrastination. Procrastination is related to in...
This article builds on existing models of motivation regulation in order to examine how students identify and address motivational deficits (e.g., not enough motivation or not the right type of motivation). Integrating perspectives from the achievement motivation, metacognition, and emotion regulation literatures, we propose that metamotivational processes play an essential role in students' monitoring of their motivational states. By emphasizing the ways in which students monitor not only the q...
Abstract Although previous studies have shown that motivational regulation strategies are generally effective in sustaining students' effort and persistence, little is known about which kind of motivational strategy works best in general, and for certain students in particular. In this article, we investigated the relative importance of eight different motivational regulation strategies across three samples (N = 531, N = 613, and N = 301, respectively) of German high school and college students ...
Last. Markus Dresel(University of Augsburg)H-Index: 19
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Abstract It is argued that learners' motivational regulation is strongly situation-specific and depends on the motivational problems that trigger regulation. A 2 × 3 model is proposed in which motivational problems are distinguished between low expectancies for success vs. poor subjective task values in three different phases of the learning process (before, during, or after a learning activity). A study with 283 undergraduates who reported how effectively they can motivate themselves in differe...
Last. Stefan Fries(Bielefeld University)H-Index: 24
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Abstract In the present research, we examined whether the use of motivational regulation strategies has an effect on academic procrastination, students' academic performance, and well-being. More precisely, we investigated whether academic procrastination mediated the relationship between the application of the motivational regulation strategies and students' academic performance and affective/cognitive well-being. To examine the paths between the variables, we conducted two studies with univers...
Last. Markus Dresel(University of Augsburg)H-Index: 19
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Student dropout can be conceptualized as a decision-making process, consisting of different phases. Based on previous literature on student dropout, decision-making, and action-phases, we proposed that the process of developing dropout intentions includes the following phases: non-fit perception, thoughts of quitting/changing, deliberation, information search, and a final decision. In the present cross-sectional study, we empirically investigated if the assumed phases can be distinguished from e...