When expectancy meets emotional and effort costs: A longitudinal situated expectancy-value theory study regarding conditional indirect effects on mathematics achievement via maladaptive motivational engagement.
Randomized trial examines how emotional and effort costs impact math achievement via motivational engagement in students, suggesting implications for educational practices.
Key Points
This study aims to investigate how expectancy beliefs affect mathematics achievement through maladaptive motivational engagement, moderated by emotional and effort costs.
Utilized three-wave data from 733 seventh-grade students over 18 months
Conducted mediation and moderated mediation analyses using structural equation modeling
Examined interactions between expectancy, emotional costs, and effort costs.
Higher expectancy beliefs led to lower engagement in maladaptive motivational engagement (MME), which was associated with better math achievement.
Emotional cost weakened the positive effect of expectancy on achievement, with the effect diminishing at high emotional cost levels.
Effort cost showed a nonlinear pattern, where the positive impact of expectancy on engagement reversed at extreme high effort costs.