On the predictive validity of the attitude/motivation test battery

Abstract

Evidence of the predictive validity of composite measures of the ‘Attitude/Motivation Test Battery’ is provided. The composite measures of Motivation, Integrativeness and Attitude Towards the Learning Situation were correlated with three criterion measures, ‘Behavioural Intention’ to pursue French study, final French grade, and a global measure of French achievement. The data were collected in six different areas of Canada over a two‐year period. The composite measure of Motivation was found to be a better predictor of all three criteria, whereas no differences were found between the two attitudinal composites in the prediction of the Behavioural Intention measure and French Grades. Integrativeness was found to be superior to Attitude Towards the Learning Situation for the measure of French achievement. The findings support Gardner's socio‐educational model of second language acquisition which proposes that Motivation is a direct determinant of language acquisition and should thus be the most relevant variable of the three.

Notes

This research was supported by a grant from the Office of the Secretary of State, and preparation of this manuscript was facilitated by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.