Implicit theories moderate the relation of positive future fantasies to academic outcomes

We hypothesized and observed that the degree to which students endorsed entity theories - the view that intelligence is fixed rather than malleable - attenuated the affective benefits and exacerbated the achievement drawbacks of positive fantasies in the academic domain. Positive fantasies only predicted low anger and anxiety for schoolchildren who did not strongly endorse entity theories (Study 1), and positive fantasies only predicted poor final school grades for vocational students who did strongly endorse entity theories (Study 2). An experiment indicated that for university students with stronger entity theories, positive fantasies demanded relatively little attention (Study 3), suggesting that positive fantasies obscure the opportunity for the preemptive self-regulation which promotes successful performance.     

The motivating function of thinking about the future: expectations versus fantasies

Two forms of thinking about the future are distinguished: expectations versus fantasies. Positive expectations (judging a desired future as likely) predicted high effort and successful performance, but the reverse was true for positive fantasies (experiencing one's thoughts and mental images about a desired future positively). Participants were graduates looking for a job (Study 1), students with a crush on a peer of the opposite sex (Study 2), undergraduates anticipating an exam (Study 3), and patients undergoing hip-replacement surgery (Study 4). Effort and performance were measured weeks or months (up to 2 years) after expectations and fantasies had been assessed. Implications for the self-regulation of effort and performance are discussed.     

Positive fantasies about idealized futures sap energy

Positive fantasies allow people to mentally indulge in a desired future. Whereas previous research found that spontaneously generated positive fantasies about the future predict poor achievement, we examined the effect of experimentally induced positive fantasies about the future. The present four experiments identify low energy, measured by physiological and behavioral indicators, as a mechanism by which positive fantasies translate into poor achievement. Induced positive fantasies resulted in less energy than fantasies that questioned the desired future (Study 1), negative fantasies (Study 2), or neutral fantasies (Study 3). Additionally, positive fantasies yielded a larger decrease in energy when they pertained to a more rather than a less pressing need (Study 4). Results indicate that one reason positive fantasies predict poor achievement is because they do not generate energy to pursue the desired future.     

Evaluating a Guidance and Language Arts Unit for High School Juniors

In this study the authors report on the evaluation of a program enhancing both the career development and writing skills of high school juniors. Participants were 166 juniors attending a suburban midwestern high school. School counselors and English teachers worked together to provide an opportunity for students to develop academic skills while exploring relevant career issues. Results indicated that for a wide range of students, participation in the program led to the achievement of specific guidance competencies. Changes in perceived mastery of guidance competencies predicted positive change in vocational identity and attainment of higher English grades for girls. Implications for promoting school counselors' involvement in guidance program evaluation practices are discussed.     

Predictors of High School Achievement in a Hong Kong International School

Asian students consistently achieve academically at higher rates than other students. This study reports on the prediction of grades by teenagers' values and autonomy expectations, and their mothers' reports on these variables. Fifty-eight Western and 66 Asian juniors and seniors and their mothers were recruited from an international high school. Teenagers' value priority for Openness to Change and their autonomy expectations predicted academic achievement in the entire group of students, unpackaging the effect of culture on academic achievement. Mothers' value priorities and autonomy expectations did not associate with their teenagers' grades. Teenagers' value for Openness to Change emerged as a significant independent predictor in the combined group; however, the effect was stronger in Western than in Asian teenagers. This study provides unusual evidence for pancultural correlates of academic achievement.     

Turning Fantasies About Positive and Negative Futures into Self-Improvement Goals

Contrasting fantasies about the future with reflections on reality that impedes fantasy realization creates a tight link between expectations of success and forming commitments to self-improvement goals. This effect applies to both fantasies about a positive future contrasted with impeding negative reality as well as fantasies about a negative future contrasted with impeding positive reality. In Study 1, with 63 student participants, contrasting positive fantasies about benefiting from a vocational training with negative reflections on reality impeding such benefits led to expectancy-dependent willingness to invest in the training, more so than indulging in the positive future and than dwelling on the negative reality. In Study 2, with 158 high school students from former East Berlin, contrasting negative, xenophobic fantasies about suffering from the influx of immigrants with positive reflections on reality impeding such suffering led to expectancy-dependent tolerance and willingness to integrate the immigrants. Findings are discussed in terms of how mental contrasting facilitates self-improvement and personal development by making people form expectancy-dependent goal commitments to approach positively-perceived as well as negatively-perceived futures.     

Academic optimistic bias: Implications for college student performance and well-being

Although optimism has several benefits, there are potential drawbacks associated with “too much of a good thing”. Within an academic context, a possible determinant of the adaptiveness of optimistic bias is whether students have a sense of control over academic outcomes: optimistically-biased (OB) achievement expectations paired with perceptions of academic control may enhance performance and well-being; optimistic bias in the absence of perceived control may result in disappointment, poor performance, and diminished well-being. The current longitudinal study examined academic control cognitions (ACC) among OB college students (n = 319) versus non-optimistically biased (non-OB) students (n = 321). We also examined the effects of academic optimistic bias on composite measures of college performance (perceived success, final psychology course grades, cumulative GPA, course attrition) and well-being (positive and negative emotions, health behaviors, future optimism) 6 months later; and determined whether ACC accounted for those associations. Significant MANCOVAs showed OB students had greater ACC, better subsequent well-being, and outperformed their non-OB counterparts. These well-being and performance differences remained significant after statistically accounting for initial aptitude and ACC. Overall, academic optimistic bias was accompanied by perceived controllability over scholastic outcomes, yet beyond the effects of ACC, optimistic bias was associated with better year-end performance and well-being. Findings have implications for maximizing the successful transition of first-year college students.     

High-Performing Inner-City Adolescents Assist Low-Performing Peers in Counseling Groups

Operating from the theoretical base that the adolescent social system and group procedures could be incorporated into strategies for improving the school performance of disadvantaged students, a supervised program of peer leadership in counseling and study groups was developed for a group of inner-city high school students. A method of training students to be peer leaders in the groups was developed, and the effects of the program on the academic performance of the selected students were evaluated. In the demonstration program, the example of achieving peers and the support and reinforcement of a group with similar goals provided the impetus for inner-city high school juniors to develop better classroom skills, higher grades, and higher levels of vocational and educational aspirations and expectations.     

Utilization of college students to improve inner-city school children's academic behavior

A program using college students as tutor/counselors with low-achieving, inner-city, junior high school students is described and evaluated. The college students, who were primarily ethnic minorities, played a multifaceted role as tutors, counselors, and role models of academic achievement. The evaluation assessed program effects across groups (program versus control), two schools and two program administrations, using analysis of covariance. Results supported positive program impact in the students using teacher ratings of classwork effort, quality, and attitude, and in the students' self-reported attitudes toward education, educational aspirations, and expectations.     

Achievement strategies in peer groups and adolescents' school adjustment and norm-breaking behavior

The present study examined the extent to which the achievement strategies deployed by adolescents, and those used by their peers would predict adolescents' school adjustment, academic achievement and problem behavior. The participants were 287 14–15-year-old comprehensive school students (121 boys and 165 girls) from a middle-sized town in central Sweden. The results showed that not only the maladaptive strategies used by adolescents, but also those reported by their peers predicted adolescents' norm-breaking behavior, low school adjustment and low level of achievement: high levels of failure expectations and task-avoidance among adolescents' peers were positively associated with adolescents' own norm-breaking behavior, and indirectly via this, also with their maladjustment at school and low grades. These associations were found after controlling for the impact of adolescents' own achievement strategies.     

The Role of Positive Psychology Constructs in Predicting Mental Health and Academic Achievement in Children and Adolescents: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study

This longitudinal study presents the first examination of the relation between positive psychology constructs, mental health and academic achievement of students in Portugal. Using a sample of 367 middle-school students, the study revealed that crosssectional and longitudinal patterns of correlations between positive variables were consistent with expectations for the most part and suggested that hope, life satisfaction and self-worth have meaningful relations with mental health and academic achievement. In addition, no significant changes were found between the variables in study across the administrations and throughout the two cohorts, and all the variables in study demonstrate moderate to high stability across a 1- and 2-year time frame. Hope predicts students?? academic achievement, and life satisfaction was the strongest predictor of mental health, over 2-years. The implications of the findings are discussed with reference to prior studies and for future research.     

Flourishing is Associated with Higher Academic Achievement and Engagement in Filipino Undergraduate and High School Students

Flourishing emphasizes the importance of integrating subjective well-being and psychological well-being to offer a more comprehensive view of mental health. Recognizing the potential advantage of flourishing, previous empirical studies have examined the relations of flourishing to positive psychological outcomes such as hope, life satisfaction, mental health, and positive emotions. However, it appears that limited research has been carried out to assess the role of flourishing in the educational context. Hence, the current research examined the association of flourishing with relevant academic outcomes (i.e., perceived academic achievement, academic achievement, behavioral engagement, and emotional engagement) after controlling for relevant demographic variables, life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect among Filipino undergraduate and high school students. Study 1 showed that flourishing positively predicted self-report academic achievement of Filipino undergraduate students after controlling for age, gender, and subjective well-being domains (life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect). Similarly, Study 2 showed that flourishing positively predicted objective measure of academic achievement, behavioral engagement, and emotional engagement in Filipino high school students even after controlling for the influence of demographic variables and subjective well-being domains. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Positive academic emotions moderate the relationship between self‐regulation and academic achievement

Background. Research has shown how academic emotions are related to achievement and to cognitive/motivational variables that promote achievement. Mediated models have been proposed to account for the relationships among academic emotions, cognitive/motivational variables, and achievement, and research has supported such mediated models, particularly with negative emotions. Aims. The study tested the hypotheses: (1) self‐regulation and the positive academic emotions of enjoyment and pride are positive predictors of achievement; and (2) enjoyment and pride both moderate the relationship between self‐regulation and achievement. Sample. Participants were 1,345 students enrolled in various trigonometry classes in one university. Methods. Participants answered the Academic Emotions Questionnaire‐Math (Pekrun, Goetz, & Frenzel, 2005) and a self‐regulation scale (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1991) halfway through their trigonometry class. The students’ final grades in the course were regressed to self‐regulation, positive emotions, and the interaction terms to test the moderation effects. Results and Conclusions. Enjoyment and pride were both positive predictors of grades; more importantly, both moderated the relationship between self‐regulation and grades. For students who report higher levels of both positive emotions, self‐regulation was positively associated with grades. However, for those who report lower levels of pride, self‐regulation was not related to grades; and, for those who reported lower levels of enjoyment, self‐regulation was negatively related to grades. The results are discussed in terms of how positive emotions indicate positive appraisals of task/outcome value, and thus enhance the positive links between cognitive/motivational variables and learning.     

Differences between African American and European American first-year college students in the relationship between self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and academic achievement

First-year African American and European American college students were surveyed to examine ethnic differences in how their social cognitive beliefs (self-efficacy and outcome expectations) influenced their academic achievement. It was hypothesized that outcome expectations may better explain academic achievement for African Americans due to the fact that they may perceive that external factors such as discrimination may influence their academic outcomes. Because European Americans are less likely to anticipate discrimination, they are more likely to believe that their outcomes would be the result of their own behavior. Higher levels of self-efficacy were related to better academic achievement for both ethnic groups. However, African Americans with negative outcome expectations (e.g. my education will not lead to a well paying job) had better achievement than those with more positive outcome expectations. This pattern was not found for European Americans. Potential explanations for the relationship between outcome expectations and academic achievement for African Americans such as racial socialization for preparation for bias are discussed and implications for interventions are addressed.     

Thoughts about a successful future encourage action in the face of challenge

College environments can put lower socioeconomic status (SES) female students at particular risk of withdrawing during challenging academic situations. However, thinking about reaching a successful future identity may encourage these students to take action rather than withdraw. In a laboratory experiment, we tested the hypothesis that imagining a successful future identity would help lower SES female students to actively and successfully confront challenging tasks (i.e., a mock student–faculty interaction and difficult academic test). As predicted, when future identities were cued rather than past identities, lower SES female students demonstrated greater action readiness. Specifically, they showed more expansive body posture during the mock interaction and more attempts to complete the academic test, which led to better performance. The motivation to take action among higher SES and male students, who are at lower risk of vulnerability in college environments, was not influenced by future identities.     

Academic Performance of Mexican American Women: Sources of Support That Serve as Motivating Variables

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine family encouragement and selected background variables influencing Mexican American female academic achievement at a large southwestern university. The results revealed that students with a positive view of their academic ability combined with a strong sense of personal responsibility for their academic future were likely to be academically successful.     

先前学业成就与学习动机、策略的关系:学业情绪的中介作用

采用整群抽样法抽取高中生670名,分别用学业情绪问卷、学习动机问卷和学习策略问卷来探讨学业情绪在先前学业成就与学习动机、学习策略之间的中介作用。以学业情绪的控制-价值理论和认知-动机模型为基础,运用偏差矫正百分位的非参数Bootstrap法对学业情绪的中介作用进行检验,结果发现:积极学业情绪在先前学业成就与学习策略、学习动机间起完全中介效应;消极学业情绪在先前学业成就与学习策略、学习动机间起部分中介效应。     

青少年未来时间洞察力和学业成绩的关系:时间管理倾向的中介作用

思考未来对个体现在行为具有重要指导意义。本研究以1002名初、高中学生为调查对象,采用问卷调查法探究未来时间洞察力与学业成绩间的关系,以及时间管理倾向在其中的中介作用。结果表明:(1)学业成绩高低分组在未来时间洞察力各维度和时间管理倾向上差异显著。(2)未来积极、未来坚持、未来清晰和未来计划与时间管理倾向和学业成绩呈显著正相关,未来消极和未来迷茫与时间管理倾向和学业成绩呈显著负相关。(3)未来消极对学业成绩具有显著的直接预测作用;未来消极还通过时间效能感间接影响学业成绩;时间管理倾向在未来迷茫、未来清晰、未来坚持、未来计划和学业成绩之间起中介作用。     

学校氛围与初中生学业成就:学业情绪的中介和未来取向的调节作用

采用问卷法对1243名初中生进行调查研究,考察了学业情绪在学校氛围与初中生学业成就间的中介效应,以及未来取向对这一中介过程的调节效应。结果发现,（1）在控制了性别、年级、社会经济地位后,学校氛围对学业成就具有正向预测作用;（2）积极低唤醒学业情绪和消极低唤醒学业情绪显著中介学校氛围与学业成就的关系;（3）未来取向显著调节学校氛围对初中生学业成绩的直接路径,以及通过积极低唤醒和消极低唤醒学业情绪影响学业成绩的间接路径;即学校氛围和积极低唤醒学业情绪对学业成绩的影响在低未来取向的青少年群体中更为强烈;而学校氛围对消极低唤醒学业情绪的影响在高未来取向的青少年群体中更为强烈。总之,在学校氛围影响初中生学业成就的过程中,既存在中介效应,又存在调节效应。实际干预时,可以通过改善初中生学业情绪提高初中生的学业成就,未来取向可以进一步调节该过程。     

Perceived control and emotions: interactive effects on performance in achievement settings

Individual differences in cognitions and emotions play a critical role in difficult academic situations, such as the transition into college, a period infused with uncertainty. Perceived academic control (low vs. high) and emotions (course boredom, anxiety, and enjoyment) were examined to determine how they jointly predicted 620 first-year students’ achievement and attrition over an entire academic year. It was expected that students’ emotions would moderate the effects of high perceived control on achievement (final psychology grade, cumulative GPA) and attrition (overall course credits dropped). Regression results revealed several Perceived Control  ×  Emotion interactions that supported this moderation hypothesis: negative emotions impeded the benefits of high control (i.e., boredom and anxiety predicted worse performance in high-control students); positive emotions enhanced the benefits of high control (i.e., enjoyment predicted better performance in high-control students). Conversely, achievement emotions did not predict performance among low-control students. Together, these findings indicate that for a high level of perceived control to enhance students’ academic achievement and inhibit attrition, “adaptive” levels of emotions (lower boredom, lower anxiety, or higher enjoyment) are required. Implications for maximizing academic success among both low- and high-control students are discussed.