Short-Term Transitions in First-Semester Motivation: A Three-Wave Study of Undergraduates’ Expectancy-Value-Cost Profiles

Grounded in situated expectancy-value theory and a person-centered approach, the present study employed a three-wave longitudinal design to examine short-term transitions in first-year undergraduates’ expectancy-value-cost profiles across the first semester. Participants were 232 Chinese first-year undergraduates recruited through course-based convenience sampling from an introductory psychology course. Self-efficacy, task values, and perceived costs were assessed at three time points across the semester. Latent profile and latent transition analyses identified three recurring profiles: Average-all, Burdened, and Positively motivated. Approximately 51% of students remained in the same profile across the semester. Meaningful transitions were also observed. Specifically, transitions toward less favorable profiles were more apparent from T1 to T2, whereas transitions toward more favorable profiles were more apparent from T2 to T3. Gender did not significantly predict profile transitions. These findings suggest that first-year students’ expectancy-value-cost profiles can remain moderately stable while also shifting over short periods within a course. The results highlight the value of repeated assessment for understanding when students experience motivational burden and when their motivational configurations become more favorable.