Can I master it and does it matter? An intraindividual analysis on control–value antecedents of trait and state academic emotions

Abstract

The present study explored the relations between cognitive appraisal antecedents and academic emotions as stated in Pekrun's control–value theory (2006). The appraisals of control and value, and the interaction of the two as predictors of emotions, were studied while using both trait and state (via experience sampling) assessments in one sample. Control and value appraisals, and the discrete emotions of pride, anxiety, and boredom, were assessed in four subject domains in a sample of N=120 students in grades 8 and 11. Multilevel analyses showed that control, value, and their interaction predict the respective emotions in the expected direction while using an intraindividual approach in analyzing the data. Furthermore, results revealed that appraisal–emotion relationships are quite similar in trait and state data. Implications for future research are outlined regarding the use of intraindividual approaches and for educational practice with respect to the promotion of control and value appraisals.