Experimental Analysis of a Cognitive Model of Motivation

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of cognitive process components and contextual variables on effort and performance. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and path analyses were used to examine the relationship of the cognitive component variables and the contextual variables on effort and performance. Subjects were 108 undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to one of two levels for each of three treatments (training/no training, goal setting/ no goal setting, and follow-up/no follow-up (including social support). An ANCOVA, using grade point average (GPA) as the covariate, revealed a significant main effect for training in study practices on test grade performance for a college course. The interaction effect of training and goal setting on test grade performance approached statistical significance. The main effects for follow-up/social support and study goals on grade performance were not significant. Path analyses tested motivational models for their fit of the data. A model with perceived effort required, grade goal, and study goal as antecedents to study effort, and with study practices training, prior test grade, GPA, and study effort as antecedents of test performance, had a good fit with the data.