Full metadata
Title
The effect of perceived opportunities and regulatory focus on task performance for first- and continuing-generation college students
Description
First-generation college students, for whom neither parent has a bachelor's degree, are at an increased risk for dropping out of college compared with their continuing-generation counterparts. This research aims to examine whether varying perceptions of the future may contribute to these differences; specifically, whether presentations of future opportunities with and without a college degree impact academic motivation and performance, and whether this relationship holds for people from different college generation status backgrounds. Additionally, the study explores whether the effect is consistent with regulatory focus profiles--whether someone is motivated to avoid negative outcomes (e.g., prevention orientation) or attain positive outcomes (e.g., promotion orientation). Prevention oriented first-generation students were expected to have increased motivation and performance when asked to contrast the future with and without a college degree, whereas promotion oriented continuing-generation students were expected to have increased motivation and performance by merely thinking about the future with a college degree. Participants consisted of 330 undergraduates from an introductory psychology course. Participants were randomly assigned to presentations of future opportunities with a degree, with and without a degree, or a no-prime control condition. Motivation and performance were assessed using academic motivation and delay of gratification scales and a short anagram task. The proposed hypotheses were not supported; however, important findings emerged from exploratory analysis. First- and continuing-generation college students perceived future opportunities with a college degree similarly, meaning that both first- and continuing-generation students believed that a degree would endow opportunities. Additionally, belief in future opportunities significantly predicted academic motivation, delay of gratification, and anagram performance; thus, belief in future opportunities is a determinant of academic motivation and performance. Finally, first-generation students' performance varied by belief that a college degree would create future opportunities. Therefore, future interventions to increase performance and retention among first-generation students should emphasize the value of a college degree for future success. This research has implications for the understanding of college generation status, academic motivation, and performance.
Date Created
2014
Contributors
- Herrmann, Sarah D (Author)
- Kwan, Virginia S.Y. (Thesis advisor)
- Okun, Morris A. (Committee member)
- Saenz, Delia S. (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Topical Subject
Resource Type
Extent
vii, 83 pages
Language
eng
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Peer-reviewed
No
Open Access
No
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.26856
Statement of Responsibility
by Sarah D Herrmann
Description Source
Viewed on June 19, 2020
Level of coding
full
Note
thesis
Partial requirement for: M.A., Arizona State University, 2014
bibliography
Includes bibliographical references
Field of study: Social psychology
System Created
- 2014-12-01 07:02:32
System Modified
- 2021-08-30 01:32:07
- 3 years 2 months ago
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