Facts that Influence College Students’ Reading Motivation

Abstract

This study investigated American college students’ reading motivation. A total of 1,437 (533 male and 904 female) college students across interdisciplinary areas voluntarily participated in the study by completing a self-reported survey. Two major research questions were addressed in this study. The first question investigated American college students’ reading motivation by the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ) variables of self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and social motivation. The second question asked what variables influence American college students’ motivation to read by comparing gender, classification, age, race, language backgrounds, grades in major subjects and minor subjects. Descriptive analysis indicated that the mean scores of the extrinsic motivation scale (3.07) were higher than those of intrinsic motivation (3.05), self-efficacy (3.04) and social motivation (2.35) scales. A multiple linear regression statistical analysis confirmed that gender, age, classification, grade, race, and primary language were significant factors in college students’ motivation to read. Keywords: college students, reading motivation, MRQ