Cognitive Motivational Factors Research Articles

From Hostile Media Perceptions to Action: The Role of Racial Empathy in the Black Lives Matter Movement

ABSTRACT In the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests that swept across the nation, this study aims to identify potential cognitive-motivational factors that account for the increased likelihood among pro-movement citizens to engage in BLM activism. Using a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults, we examine a theoretical model grounded in the Orientation-Stimuli-Orientation-Response framework in which the racial empathy that may emerge from perceptions of a hostile information environment plays a pivotal mediating role in the path from partisan support to peaceful/confrontational forms of BLM action. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.

АНАЛИЗ ОСВОЕНИЯ МАНУАЛЬНЫХ НАВЫКОВ РЕСТАВРАЦИИ МОЛЯРОВ СТАРШЕКУРСНИКАМИ СТОМАТОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ФАКУЛЬТЕТА

Subject. The subject of this research is manual skills in molar restoration.
 Objective. The objective of this research is to analyze the process of mastering manual skills in restoration of phantom molar tooth models by senior dental students.
 Methodology. The study was carried out by the Department of Therapeutic Dentistry and Propedeutics of Dental Disease of Ural State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation together with the Department of Control Systems Modeling, Ural Federal University. The study involved 54 four- and five-year dental students of Ural State Medical University (24 young male adults, 30 young adult women; the average age was 22.25 ± 1.75 years) in a procedure of dental filling of carious cavities in five “phantom” teeth – extracted molars (Black classification was Class I). This research applied the method developed by Prof. Larisa Lomiashvili together with co-authors for molar restoration using modular techniques. To analyze self-assessment of manual skills for molar restoration by senior students the questionnaire was completed. The questionnaire was made up of three blocks including 12 questions (parameters) evaluated using 1 to 10 rating scale survey, the rating being 10 for “fully satisfied”, and 1 for “completely dissatisfied”. The survey questions were divided into the following blocks: understanding of dental anatomical features, professional skills of students, cognitive motivational factors.
 Conclusions. The analysis of assessment scores and survey responses showed that mastering manual skills by senior students during a molar restoration procedure promotes their accuracy and ability to work with precision. The analysis of mastering manual skills for molar restoration by dental senior students using the survey responses showed rather high self-assessments (p ≤ 0.05).

Leveraging learning experience design: digital media approaches to influence motivational traits that support student learning behaviors in undergraduate online courses

Higher education may benefit from investigating alternative evidence-based methods of online learning to understand students’ learning behaviors while considering students’ social cognitive motivational traits. Researchers conducted an in situ design-based research (DBR) study to investigate learner experience design (LXD) methods, deploying approaches of asynchronous video, course dashboards, and enhanced user experience. This mixed-methods study (N = 181) assessed associations of students’ social cognitive motivational traits (self-efficacy, task-value, self-regulation) influencing their learning behaviors (engagement, elaboration, critical thinking) resulting from LXD. Social cognitive motivational traits were positively predictive of learning behaviors. As motivational factors increased, students’ course engagement, usage of elaboration, and critical thinking skills increased. Self-efficacy, task-value, and self-regulation explained 31% of the variance of engagement, 47% of the explained variance of critical thinking skills, and 57% of the explained variance in the usage of elaboration. As a predictor, task-value beliefs increased the proportion of explained variance in each model significantly, above self-efficacy and self-regulation. Qualitative content analysis corroborated these findings, explaining how LXD efforts contributed to motivations, learning behaviors, and learning experience. Results suggest that mechanisms underpinning LXD and students’ learning behaviors are likely the result of dynamically catalyzing social cognitive motivational factors. The discussion concludes with the LXD affordances that explain the positive influences in students’ social cognitive motivational traits and learning behaviors, while also considering constraints for future iterations.

Exigency-driven Academic Motivation of Learners: A Comparative Analysis During COVID and pre-COVID Scenario

Recent studies have addressed the technological and cognitive motivational factors influencing e-learning. However, research investigating the comparative analysis of psychological factors that influence the academic motivation of e-learners and their interconnection has not been reported. Considering the array of psychological challenges faced by the student community in the current pandemic, a detailed look at the sudden transition and its impact on the academic motivation of learners is imperative. This paper examines the impact of psychological factors on the academic motivation of learners in pre-COVID and COVID times. Further, the significant difference in academic motivation during the period is also studied. A structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses the data obtained in two phases—phase 1 (Pre-COVID) and phase 2 (COVID)—from executive business management students of India. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that looks at the academic motivation of learners using three different theoretical lenses. Findings suggest that all psychological factors influence the academic motivation moderately/strongly during both the phases, except attention during pre-COVID. However, increased focus on attention and need for relatedness is suggestive during exigencies like COVID. The validity of second order measures, that is, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation and amotivation, fortifies the findings and makes a substantial contribution to the body of the knowledge in e-learning motivation. The study details the research and practical implications of the findings.

The Role of Cognitive-Motivational Factors in Reading Comprehension of Informative and Narrative Texts: Which Is More Effective?

Many studies in the literature have addressed reading comprehension, the ultimate goal of the reading process, due to its complex nature. These studies have focused on various areas, such as the nature of reading comprehension, how it occurs, the factors that affect the process of comprehension, reading comprehension impediments, and how to improve reading comprehension. The current study aims at examining the cognitive and motivational factors to explain reading comprehension. In the light of the related literature, the cognitive factors in this study were vocabulary, prior knowledge, and use of reading strategies, while the motivational factors include motivation and self-efficacy. Both informative and narrative texts were used to measure the success in reading comprehension. The participants were composed of 384 students studying in 6th grade (F: 205, M: 179). The study results reveal that cognitive and motivational factors predict reading comprehension at a statistically significant level. The most effective two factors are vocabulary and prior knowledge, both of which are cognitive factors. The order of relative importance of the variables is vocabulary, prior knowledge, motivation, self-efficacy, and reading strategies. There are some suggestions made in the light of the study results for researchers and practitioners.

How Can Bullying Victimisation Lead to Lower Academic Achievement? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Mediating Role of Cognitive-Motivational Factors.

Bullying involvement may have an adverse effect on children’s educational outcomes, particularly academic achievement. However, the underlying mechanisms and factors behind this association are not well-understood. Previous meta-analyses have not investigated mediation factors between bullying and academic achievement. This meta-analysis examines the mediation effect of cognitive-motivational factors on the relationship between peer victimization and academic achievement. A systematic search was performed using specific search terms and search engines to identify relevant studies that were selected according to specific criteria resulting in 11 studies encompassing a sample total of 257,247 children (10 years and younger) and adolescents (11 years and older) (48–59% female). Some studies were longitudinal and some cross sectional and the assessment for each factor was performed by various methods (self, peer, teacher, school and mixed reports). Children involved in bullying behaviour were less likely to be academically engaged (k = 4) (OR = 0.571, 95% CI [0.43, 0.77], p = 0.000), to be less motivated (k = 7) (OR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.69, 0.97], p = 0.021), to have lower self-esteem (k = 1) (OR = 0.12, 95% CI [0.07, 0.20], p = 0.000) and lower academic achievement (k = 14) (OR = 0.62, 95% CI [0.49, 0.79], p = 0.000). Bullying involvement was also significantly related to overall cognitive-motivational factors (k = 17, OR = 0.67, 95% CI [0.59, 0.76], p = 0.000). Cognitive-motivational factors, taken together, mediated the association between bullying victimisation and academic achievement (k = 8, OR = 0.74, 95% CI (0.72, 0.77), p = 0.000). Bullying victimisation was negatively related to cognitive-motivational factors, which, in turn, was associated with poorer academic achievement. These findings were moderated by the design of the studies, assessment methods for the bullying reports, mediators and outcomes, country, age of children in the sample and/or types of bullying. The findings are of relevance for practitioners, parents, and schools, and can be used to guide bullying interventions. Interventions should focus on improving internal and external motivational factors including components of positive reinforcement, encouragement, and programs for enhancing academic engagement and achievement amongst children and adolescents.

The Direct Role of Anticipated Regret in the Formation of Student’s Entrepreneurial Intention

The most widely used entrepreneurial intention models explain only cognitive motivational factors. However, psychological studies reveal that emotional factors and counterfactual thinking such as anticipated affect also explain the intention and then behaviour. The objective of this research is to identify the role of anticipated regret in forming students’ entrepreneurial intentions. To test the hypotheses of the conceptual model integrating anticipated regret among the antecedent motivational factors to entrepreneurial intention, a hierarchical regression technique has been adopted. Data have been collected from 266 students in management degree. Our results show that anticipated regret, as well as attitude towards business start-up and perceived behavioural control, have a direct and positive influence on entrepreneurial intention described in the theory of planned behaviour. This study contributes to extend prior cognition-based explanations of the origin of earlier stages in an entrepreneurial journey.

Moderated Mediation of Perceived Intoxication and Sexual Arousal on Determinants of Sexual Risk Behavior in Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Behavioral interventions remain the preferred strategy for reducing HIV-related risk behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM), one of the populations most affected by HIV. To improve intervention efforts, research is needed to identify cognitive-motivational factors that may play a role in sexual risk behaviors among MSM. This study sought to replicate and extend previous work from a heterosexual population that identified a serial mediation effect of perceived intoxication and subjective sexual arousal in the relationship between alcohol consumption and determinants of sexual risk in a population of MSM. Exploratory moderated mediation analyses tested subjective sexual arousal as a moderator of the indirect effect of alcohol consumption on determinants of sexual risk via perceived intoxication. Participants (N = 117 MSM, ages 21-50) were randomly assigned to one of six experimental conditions based on two manipulations: beverage condition (alcohol, placebo, or control) and sexual arousal (low or high). Dependent measures were likelihood to engage in risky sex and condom negotiation skills. Results did not support the serial mediation effect but showed some support for the moderated mediation model in the prediction of behavioral skills. Implications for alcohol and arousal myopia theories of risky behavior and HIV prevention efforts are discussed.

Contributions of Cognitive-Motivational Factors to the Sense of Identity

This study addressed the relationship between sense of personal identity and thinking dispositions such as need for cognition, reflection, and integrative self-knowledge as well as modes of coping with self-related discrepancies through either excessive assimilation or accommodation. Participants were 544 young adults. The correlation and path analyses revealed, as expected, that need for cognition and integrative self-knowledge positively influenced one’s sense of identity, while over-responsiveness to discrepant information about the self influenced it negatively. The effects of reflection and imperviousness to discrepancies appeared more complicated and varied. Together, the findings confirm the importance of cognitive-motivational variables in the development and maintenance of a sense of identity, and suggest that gender differences in their relative significance may deserve additional research attention.

Reasons for limiting drinking in an HIV primary care sample.

Heavy drinking among individuals with HIV is associated with major health concerns (liver disease, medication nonadherence, immune functioning), but little is known about cognitive-motivational factors involved in alcohol consumption in this population, particularly reasons for limiting drinking. Urban HIV primary care patients (N = 254; 78.0% male; 94.5% African American or Hispanic) in a randomized trial of brief drinking-reduction interventions reported on reasons for limiting drinking, alcohol consumption, and alcohol dependence symptoms prior to intervention. Exploratory factor analysis indicated 3 main domains of reasons for limiting drinking: social reasons (e.g., responsibility to family), lifestyle reasons (e.g., religious/moral reasons), and impairment concerns (e.g., hangovers). These factors evidenced good internal consistency (αs = 0.76 to 0.86). Higher scores on social reasons for limiting drinking were associated with lower typical quantity, maximum quantity, and binge frequency (ps < 0.01), and higher scores on lifestyle reasons were associated with lower maximum quantity, binge frequency, and intoxication frequency (ps < 0.01). In contrast, higher scores on impairment concerns were associated with more frequent drinking and intoxication, and higher risk of alcohol dependence (ps < 0.05), likely because dependent drinkers are more familiar with alcohol-induced impairment. The current study is the first to explore reasons for limiting drinking among individuals with HIV and how these reasons relate to alcohol involvement. This study yields a scale that can be used to assess reasons for limiting drinking among HIV-positive drinkers and provides information that can be used to enhance interventions with this population. Discussing social and lifestyle reasons for limiting drinking among less extreme drinkers may support and validate these patients' efforts to limit engagement in heavy drinking; discussion of impairment reasons for limiting drinking may be a way to engage dependent drinkers in efforts to decrease their alcohol consumption.

A Cognitive Social Simulation of Tribal Survival Strategies: The Importance of Cognitive and Motivational Factors

When trying to understand social processes and phenomena, it is relevant, and arguably important, to take psychology (cognition, motivation, and so on) of individuals into consideration. Detailed computational models of cognitive agents that incorporate a wide range of psychological functionalities have been developed in cognitive science, while most of the work in social simulation still assumes rudimentary psychological functions within agents. In this work, through simulating survival strategies of tribal societies, the interaction of cognition/ motivation on one hand and social institutions and processes on the other is explored. The results of the simulation demonstrate significant interactions between cognitive-motivational factors and social-environmental factors. For example, we show that there are cognitiveenvironmental dependency, cognitive-motivational dependency, and motivational-environmental dependency, among others. This work points to a more psychologically realistic approach towards social simulation (namely, Cognitive Social Simulation; Sun, 2006), as well as an area of research – exploring the cognitive-motivational-social-environmental interaction (through cognitive social simulation).

Passive cancer detection and medical help seeking for cancer symptoms: (in)adequate behavior and psychosocial determinants

The present study explored the performance and psychosocial determinants of passive cancer detection behavior, that is, attentiveness to cancer symptoms, and medical help seeking, and investigated potential dependency between these two behaviors. A detailed telephone survey was conducted among 459 respondents, aged 55 years or older. The survey assessed passive detection behavior and appropriately timed medical help seeking, regarding 14 cancer symptoms. Knowledge of cancer symptoms and various other psychosocial determinants were also measured. Knowledge of cancer symptoms and adequate passive detection behavior was low to moderate. Timely medical help-seeking behavior was low to moderate for urgent symptoms but relatively high for prolonged symptoms. Overall, women had higher knowledge levels, paid more attention to cancer symptoms, and performed more timely help seeking than men. Passive detection behavior was positively associated with premotivational awareness factors (knowledge and awareness), female gender, and perceived advantages. Timely medical help seeking was positively related to cognitive motivational factors (perceived advantages, self-efficacy expectations, and intention) and negatively related to educational level and perceived susceptibility to cancer. Furthermore, a strong positive association was found between the performance of passive detection behavior and timely medical help seeking. The suboptimal levels of knowledge and performance of early cancer detection behaviors found in this study emphasize a need for educational efforts in the area of early cancer detection. The effectiveness of these efforts may benefit from considering the distinct sets of determinants of passive detection behavior and medical help seeking.

An exploratory study to investigate cognitive-motivational variables as predictors of health behaviours in adolescents

Objective This study examines the relation between cognitive-motivational variables and self-reported health behaviours among adolescents. Design Cross-sectional survey of adolescents via questionnaires delivered in classrooms. Setting One large junior high school and two senior high schools located in the Memphis area. Method Data from 257 7th to 12th graders were used to determine their practice of health behaviours as well as their perceptions of health status and vulnerability, optimism and rebelliousness/risk taking. Results Adolescent males and females who were less rebellious and had better health perceptions reported healthier behavioural practices. A stronger significant inverse relationship between perceived vulnerability and health behaviour scores was found for females. Optimism was significantly and positively correlated with health behaviour scores only among females. Adolescents in lower grades obtained higher health behaviour scores than adolescents in higher grades. Males had higher rebelliousness scores than females. Demographic and cognitive- motivational variables accounted for 26 per cent of the variance in health behaviour scores. Conclusion Cognitive-motivational factors should be considered when designing health promotion programmes for adolescents.

Implicit Theories and Stigmatizing Labels

To understand students' achievement outcomes, it is important to look beyond the disability labels that have been applied. Students' choices follow from their implicit theories about learning and achievement. Developmental educators can consider cognitive motivational factors such as beliefs, goals, and expectations, as well as the results of previous institutional interventions, when working with students to identify effective supports.

Toward a theory of entrepreneurial behaviour; empirical evidence from Israel, Italy and Sweden

Translated versions of the Miner Sentence Completion Scale-Form T and of the Differential Attribution Questionnaire were administered to entrepreneurs and to managers, in Israel, Northern and Southern Italy and Sweden. The results of this research yield strong support for a framework that integrates affective and cognitive motivational factors. In particular, it found: (1) that the way entrepreneurs deal with negative outcomes explains their perseverance and affects their self-achievement; (2) a risk-avoidance rather than a risk-taking preference distinguishes them; (3) Self-Achievement; Risk-Avoidance and Personal Innovation appear to be major components of Task Motivation. This research appears to move closer toward a more parsimonious and clearer understanding of the behaviour of the central figure in wealth formation, thus providing a framework for the designing of entrepreneurial development programmes.

Self-discrepancies and emotional vulnerability: how magnitude, accessibility, and type of discrepancy influence affect.

Two studies examined whether the type of emotional change experienced by individuals is influenced by the magnitude and accessibility of the different types of self-discrepancies they possess. In both studies, subjects filled out a measure of self-discrepancy a few weeks prior to the experimental session. Subjects were asked to list up to 10 attributes each for different self-states--their actual self, their ideal self (their own or others' hopes and goals for them), and their ought self (their own or others' beliefs about their duty and obligations). Magnitude of self-discrepancy was calculated by comparing the attributes in the actual self to the attributes in either the ideal self or the ought self, with the total number of attribute pairs that matched being subtracted from the total number of attribute pairs that mismatched. In Study 1, subjects were asked to imagine either a positive event or a negative event and were then given a mood measure and a writing-speed task. Subjects with a predominant actual:ideal discrepancy felt more dejected (e.g., sad) and wrote more slowly in the negative event condition than in the positive event condition, whereas subjects with a predominant actual:ought discrepancy, if anything, felt more agitated (e.g., afraid) and wrote more quickly in the negative event condition. In Study 2, subjects were selected who were either high in both kinds of discrepancies or low in both. Half of the subjects in each group were asked to discuss their own and their parents' hopes and goals for them (ideal priming), and the other half were asked to discuss their own and their parents' beliefs concerning their duty and obligations (ought priming). For high-discrepancy subjects, but not low-discrepancy subjects, ideal priming increased their dejection whereas ought priming increased their agitation. The implications of these findings for identifying cognitive-motivational factors that may serve as vulnerability markers for emotional problems is discussed.

Cognitive--motivational factors that contribute to the achievement of learning-disabled children.

Almost everyone who deals with learning-disabled children, researchers and teachers alike, recognizes that many of these children have attitudinal or motivational problems that interfere with their classwork. In like manner, most educators recognize that chronic failure in school can cause children to become less involved in their school work. Up until recently, however, these ideas have remained quite vague and supported mostly by anecdotal evidence. This month's Topical Review discusses a developing body of research that seeks to understand the effects of failure on children more precisely. Increased understanding of the specific ways that failure affects children's attitudes and motivation toward their classroom tasks should help teachers deal more effectively with these problems in learning-disabled children.—JKT

Dimensiones cognitivo-motivacionales y aprendizaje autorregulado

El artículo analiza el aprendizaje escolar donde una perspectiva cognitivo- motivacional, en la que se destacan una serie de ideas relevantes de profundizar en la comprensión de los factores cognitivo-motivacionales que inciden en el aprendizaje escolar.