Learning Curves: Longitudinal Growth Modeling of GMA and Goal Orientation’s Effects on Performance

Abstract

Individual ability and motivation have long been considered in research on learning and job performance. General mental ability (GMA) and learning goal orientation (LGO) are two often-studied predictors of learning performance, but research on these two constructs commonly examines between-individual differences in learning performance. Recent work (Chen & Mathieu, 2008; Yeo & Neal, 2004) suggests that these predictors may have important within-individual effects on learning. That is, the slope of performance across multiple episodes also varies as a function of GMA and LGO. The current study tests the between- and within-individual effects of GMA and LGO in an applied student sample (N(between-persons)=301, N(within-persons)=1505) over 1 semester in an introductory management course. Using random coefficient longitudinal growth modeling (Bliese & Ployhart, 2002), we find that GMA and LGO operate at both the between- and within-person levels in predicting learning performance. Additionally, our data show that the effects of GMA and LGO are partially mediated by metacognitive activity. Finally, we find that GMA moderates the time-learning curve such that the gap between high-GMA individuals and low-GMA individuals widened by 300% over the course of the semester. No such LGO x Time interaction existed in our data. Practical implications and future research are discussed.