Yeager, Henderson, et al., 2014, Study 2: Promoting a prosocial learning purpose increased self-regulation and grades in math and science classes among low-performing students over one academic term
Reference:
Yeager, D. S., Henderson, M. D., Paunesku, D., Walton, G. M., D'Mello, S., Spitzer, B. J., & Duckworth, A. L. (2014). Boring but important: A self-transcendent purpose for learning fosters academic self-regulation. Journal of personality and social psychology, 107(4), 559.
Download PDFSummary:
High school students (1) identified a social problem important to them, (2) reviewed stories from other adolescents describing how an awareness of social problems and a desire to contribute positively to the world motivated them to work harder in school, and (3) wrote their own story for future high school students about their purposes for learning. As compared to an active placebo control condition, this raised GPA in math and science classes the next academic term with the greatest effect for initially low-performing students. Extension studies showed that the sense-of-purpose intervention also promoted sustained self-regulation on boring but important foundational learning tasks.
Psychological Process:
Need
Need to BelongWhat Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
To Feel Connected, Included, Respected, and Valued by OthersApproach to Desired Meaning
What about it?
Link Belonging to a Behavior or Attitude to Motivate Positive ChangeHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
Will this behavior help other people?Will this behavior help other people?Linking social connections and feelings of belonging to goal pursuitsPsychological Question Addressed
Will this behavior help other people?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Social Area:
Education
Intervention Technique:
Increasing commitment through action, saying-is-believing