Interest, Motivation, and Self-Regulation as Predictors of Strategy Use and Academic Performance

A short-term longitudinal study was used to examine the relations of achievement motivation, general motivation, interest, and self-regulatory predictors to cognitive strategy use and academic performance. A total of 102 college undergraduates enrolled in their first college-level introductory psychology course completed an Achieving Tendency Scale of achievement motivation, the Motivated Strategies For Learning Questionnaire, and an Interest Profile in psychology during the first two weeks of the semester. At midterm they completed the Study Activity Survey of cognitive strategy use. At the end of the semester exam grades, total points earned in the course, and grade point average were obtained. Results indicated that achievement motivation and self-regulation predicted cognitive strategy use reported at midterm. Results indicated that (1) test anxiety predicted exam performance, (2) self-regulatory resource management, achievement motivation, and interest predicted total points earned in the course, and (3) self-regulatory resource management predicted grade point average. Thus, motivational and self-regulatory variables have an effect on strategy use and performance.