A Latent Profile Analysis of Undergraduates’ Motivational Strategy Use and Its Relations to Achievement and Well-being

College students encounter academic hurdles such as failing exams or missing goals. The Motivational Theory of Life-Span Development outlines goal engagement, goal adjustment, and self-protection control strategies for regulating behavior after setbacks. We examined profiles of intended control strategy use after midterms in difficult courses, and their predictors and outcomes. We identified four student profiles: Low, Medium, High, and Engaged Strategy. Lower midterm performance predicted membership in the High and Engaged Strategy profiles. Engaged Strategy students (high goal engagement, low goal adjustment and self-protection) outperformed High Strategy students and, in most quarters, Medium Strategy students in final course grades. High Strategy students (high engagement, goal adjustment, and self-protection) had the lowest final course grades. Both High and Engaged Strategy students reported more positive feelings than others, but High Strategy students also reported more negative feelings than Low Strategy students. Findings suggest that focusing on goal engagement after a setback is more adaptive than combining it with goal adjustment and self-protection, and that students need support in identifying adaptive strategies.