Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Review of Self-Report and Alternative Approaches in the Measurement of Student Motivation

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Educational Psychology Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Within psychological and educational research, self-report methodology dominates the study of student motivation. The present review argues that the scope of motivation research can be expanded by incorporating a wider range of methodologies and measurement tools. Several authors have suggested that current study of motivation is overly reliant on self-report measures, warranting a move toward alternative approaches. This review critiques self-report methodology as a basis for examining alternative conceptualizations of motivation (e.g., phenomenological, neuropsychological/physiological, and behavioral) and related measurement tools. Future directions in motivational methodology are addressed, including attempts at integration or combination of these approaches and a preliminary functional framework for the development of novel, multidimensional approaches to the study of motivation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ainslie, G. (1992). Picoeconomics: The strategic interaction of successive motivational states within the person. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alagumalai, S., Curtis, D. D., Hungi, N. (Eds.). 2005. Applied Rasch measurement: A book of exemplars. New York: Springer.

  • Andrich, D. (2005). Rasch models for ordered response categories. In B. S. Everitt & D. C. Howell (Eds.), Encyclopaedia of statistics in behavioral science (pp. 1698–1707). Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arana, F. S., Parkinson, J. A., Hinton, E., Holland, A. J., Owen, A. M., & Roberts, A. C. (2003). Dissociable contributions of the human amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex to incentive motivation and goal selection. Journal of Neuroscience, 23, 9632–9638.

    Google Scholar 

  • Axelrod, B. N., Fichtenberg, N. L., Millis, S. R., & Wertheimer, J. C. (2006). Detecting incomplete effort with digit span from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—third edition. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 20, 513–523.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ball, S. (1982). Motivation. In H. E. Mitzel (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of educational research (5th ed., pp. 1256–1263). New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bear, G. G., Minke, K. M., & Manning, M. A. (2002). Self-concept of students with learning disabilities: A meta-analysis. School Psychology Review, 31, 405–427.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beatty, J. (1982). Phasic not tonic papillary responses vary with auditory vigilance performance. Psychophysiology, 19, 167–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchaine, T. (2001). Vagal tone, development, and Gray’s motivational theory: Toward an integrated model of autonomic nervous system functioning in psychopathology. Development & Psychopathology, 13, 183–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berridge, K. C. (2004). Motivation concepts in behavioral neuroscience. Physiology & Behavior, 81, 179–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Binder, L. M. (2002). The Portland Digit Recognition Test: A review of validation data and clinical use. Journal of Forensic Neuropsychology, 2(3–4), 27–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blair, C., Peters, R., & Granger, D. (2004). Physiological and neuropsychological correlates of approach/withdrawal tendencies in preschool: Further examination of the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System scales for young children. Developmental Psychobiology, 45, 113–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boersma, F. J., & Chapman, J. W. (1992). Perception of ability scale for students. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bong, M. (1996). Problems in academic motivation research and advantages and disadvantages of their solutions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 21, 149–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bracken, B. A. (1992). Multidimensional self concept scale. Austin: Pro-Ed.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brehm, J. W., & Self, E. A. (1989). The intensity of motivation. Annual Reviews of Psychology, 40, 109–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, B. M. (1996). Academic self-concept: Its structure, measurement, and relation to academic achievement. In B. A. Bracken (Ed.), Handbook of self-concept (pp. 287–316). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, B. M. (2002). Validating the measurement and structure of self-concept: Snapshots of past, present, and future research. American Psychologist, 57, 897–909.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carver, C. S., & White, T. L. (1994). Behavioral inhibition, behavioral activation, and affective responses to impending reward and punishment: The BIS/BAS scales. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 67, 319–333.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, J. W., & Tunmer, W. E. (1995). Development of young children’s reading self-concepts: An examination of emerging subcomponents and their relationship with reading achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 87, 154–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Larson, R. (1987). Validity and reliability of the experience sampling method. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 175, 526–536.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M., Abuhamdeh, S., & Nakamura, J. (2005). Flow. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of competence and motivation (pp. 598–608). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cumming, J., Olphin, T., & Law, M. (2007). Self-reported psychological states and physiological responses to different types of motivational general imagery. Journal of Sport Exercise Psychology, 29, 629–644.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dörnyei, Z. (2000). Motivation in action: Towards a process-oriented conceptualization of student motivation. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 70, 519–538.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dubrovinskaya, N. V., & Machinskaya, R. I. (2002). Reactivity of θ and α EEG frequency bands in voluntary attention in junior schoolchildren. Human Physiology, 28, 520–525.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dweck, C. S. (1986). Motivational processes affecting learning. American Psychologist, 41, 1040–1048.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 109–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elbaum, B., & Vaughn, S. (2003). For which students with learning disabilities are self-concept interventions effective? Journal of Learning Disabilities, 36, 101–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, A. J., & Maier, M. A. (2007). Color and psychological functioning. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16, 250–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, A. J., & McGregor, H. A. (2001). A 2 × 2 achievement goal framework. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 80, 501–519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, A. J., & Murayama, K. (2008). On the measurement of achievement goals: Critique, illustration, and application. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100, 613–628.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, A. J., Maier, M. A., Binser, M. J., Friedman, R., & Pekrun, R. (2009). The effect of red on avoidance behavior in achievement contexts. Personality and Social Psychological Bulletin, 35, 365–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, A. J. (2004). Multimethod approaches in educational research. International Journal of Disability, Development & Education, 51, 135–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, R., Newman, J. L., Longe, O. A., & Deakin, J. F. W. (2003). Differential response patterns in the striatum and orbitofrontal cortex to financial reward in humans: A parametric functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Journal of Neuroscience, 23, 303–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ernst, M., Nelson, E. E., McClure, E. B., Monk, C. S., Munson, S., Eshel, N., et al. (2004). Choice selection and reward anticipation: An fMRI study. Neuropsychologia, 42, 1585–1597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fortier, M. S., Vallerand, R. J., & Guay, F. (1995). Academic motivation and school performance: Toward a structural model. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 20, 257–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frijters, J.C., De Palma, M., Barron, R.W., & Lovett, M.W. 2005. Motivation as a moderator of response to remedial reading instruction: A (modifiable) aptitude x treatment interaction. Symposium paper presented at the 12th Annual Meetings of the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading: Toronto, ON, June 24–26, 2005.

  • Gambrell, L. B., Palmer, B. M., Codling, R. M., & Mazzoni, S. A. (1996). Assessing motivation to read. The Reading Teacher, 49, 518–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitudes and motivation. London: Edward Arnold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gergen, K. J. (2001). Psychological science in a postmodern context. American Psychologist, 56, 803–813.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilmore, L., Cuskelly, M., & Hayes, A. (2003). A comparative study of mastery motivation in young children with Down’s syndrome: Similar outcomes, different processes? Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 47, 181–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goltz, F. (1960). On the functions of the hemispheres. In G. von Bonin (Ed.), The cerebral cortex. Springfield: Thomas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gottfried, A. E. (1986). Manual for the children's academic intrinsic motivation inventory. Odessa: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gottfried, A. E. (1990). Academic intrinsic motivation in young elementary school children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 525–538.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant, H., & Dweck, C. S. (2003). Clarifying achievement goals and their impact. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 85, 541–553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green, J. C. (2007). Mixed methods in social inquiry. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grill, H. J., & Norgren, R. (1978). Neurological tests and behavioral deficits in chronic thalamic and chronic decerberate rats. Brain Research, 143, 299–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guay, F., Vallerand, R. J., & Blanchard, C. (2000). On the assessment of situational intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: The Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS). Motivation & Emotion, 24, 175–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hannula, M. S. (2006). Motivation in mathematics: Goals reflected in emotions. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 63, 165–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S. (1981). A new self-report scale of intrinsic versus extrinsic orientation in the classroom: Motivational and informational components. Developmental Psychology, 17, 300–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S. (1982). The Perceived Competence Scale for Children. Child Development, 53, 87–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S. (1985). The self-perception profile for children: Revision of the perceived competence scale for children manual. Denver: University of Denver.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S., & Pike, R. (1984). The pictorial scale of perceived competence and social acceptance for young children. Child Development, 55, 1969–1982.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hattie, J., & Marsh, H. W. (1996). Future directions in self-concept research. In B. A. Bracken (Ed.), Handbook of self-concept (pp. 421–462). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heckhausen, H., & Kuhl, J. (1985). From wishes to action: The dead ends and short-cuts on the long way to action. In M. Frese & J. Sabini (Eds.), Goal-directed behavior: Psychological theory and research on action. Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderlong, J., & Paris, S. G. (1996). Children’s motivation to explore partially completed exhibits in hands-on museums. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 21, 111–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henk, W. A., & Melnick, S. A. (1995). The Reader Self-Perception Scale (RSPS): A new tool for measuring how children feel about themselves as readers. The Reading Teacher, 48, 470–482.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hickey, D. T. (1997). Motivation and contemporary socio-constructivist instructional perspectives. Educational Psychologist, 32, 175–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hidi, S., Renninger, K. A., & Krapp, A. (1992). The present state of interest research. In K. A. Renninger, S. Hidi & A. Krapp (Eds.), The role of interest in learning and development (pp. 433–447). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillman, C. H., Rosengren, K. S., & Smith, D. P. (2004). Emotion and motivated behavior: Postural adjustments to affective picture viewing. Biological Psychology, 66, 51–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Husserl, E. (1958). Ideas: General introduction to pure phenomenology. London: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarvenoja, H., & Jarvela, S. (2005). How students describe the sources of their emotional and motivational experiences during the learning process: A qualitative approach. Learning & Instruction, 15, 465–480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, A.C., & Gosling, S.D. 2008. Individual differences in approach and avoidance motivation in animals. In A.J. Elliot (Ed.), Handbook of approach and avoidance motivation (pp. 165–187). Boca Raton: CRC.

  • Justice, L. M., Chow, S. M., Capellini, C., Flanigan, K., & Colton, S. (2003). Emergent literacy intervention for vulnerable preschoolers: Relative effects of two approaches. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 12, 320–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kagan, J. (2007). A trio of concerns. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2, 361–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karabenick, S. A., Woolley, M. E., Friedel, J. M., Ammon, B. V., Blazevski, J., Bonney, C. R., et al. (2007). Cognitive processing of self-report items in educational research: Do they think what we mean? Educational Psychologist, 42, 139–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keith, L. K., & Bracken, B. A. (1996). Self-concept instrumentation: A historical and evaluative review. In B. A. Bracken (Ed.), Handbook of self-concept (pp. 91–170). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kline, P. (2000). A psychometrics primer. London: Free Association Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klopfer, F. J., & Madden, T. M. (1980). The middlemost choice on attitude items: Ambivalence, neutrality, or uncertainty. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 6, 97–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krosnick, J. A., Judd, C. M., & Wittenbrink, B. (2005). The measurement of attitudes. In D. Albarracin, B. T. Johnson & M. P. Zanna (Eds.), The handbook of attitudes (pp. 21–76). Mahwah: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lang, P. J., Bradley, M. M., & Cuthbert, B. N. (1998). Emotion, motivation, and anxiety: Brain mechanisms and psychophysiology. Biological Psychiatry, 44, 1248–1263.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1983). The experience sampling method. New Directions for Methodology of Social & Behavioral Science, 15, 41–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lau, K. (2004). Construction and initial validation of the Chinese Reading Motivation Questionnaire. Educational Psychology, 24, 845–865.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lepper, M. R., Corpus, J. H., & Iyengar, S. S. (2005). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations in the classroom: Age differences and academic correlates. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97, 184–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Likert, R. (1932). A technique for the measurement of attitudes. Archives of Psychology, 140, 1–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Litman, J. A. (2005). Curiosity and the pleasures of learning: Wanting and liking new information. Cognition & Emotion, 19, 793–814.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, W., Wong, A. F. L., Divaharan, S., Peer, J., Quek, C., & Williams, M. D. (2006). Students’ intrinsic motivation in project-based learning using an asynchronous discussion platform. Educational Research Journal, 21, 217–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, R. E., & Baird, B. M. (2006). Global self-assessment. In M. Eid & E. Diener (Eds.), Handbook of multimethod measurement in psychology (pp. 29–42). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Marcoulides, G. A., Gottfried, A. E., Gottfried, A. W., & Oliver, P. H. (2008). A latent transition analysis of academic intrinsic motivation from childhood through adolescence. Educational Research & Evaluation, 14, 411–427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, H. W. (1986). Negative item bias in rating scales for preadolescent children: A cognitive-developmental phenomenon. Developmental Psychology, 22, 37–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, H. W. (1990). The structure of academic self-concept: The Marsh/Shavelson model. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 623–636.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, H. W. (1992a). Content specificity of relations between academic achievement and academic self-concept. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84, 35–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, H. W. (1992b). Self description questionnaire—II manual. Sydney: University of Western Sydney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, H. W., Craven, R. G., & Debus, R. (1991). Self-concepts of young children 5 to 8 years of age: Measurement and multidimensional structure. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83, 377–392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, H. W., Craven, R. G., Hinkley, J. W., & Debus, R. L. (2003). Evaluation of the Big-Two-Factor Theory of academic motivation orientations: An evaluation of jingle–jangle fallacies. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 38, 189–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McAuley, E., Duncan, T. E., & Tammen, V. V. (1989). Psychometric properties of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory in a competitive sport setting: A confirmatory factor analysis. Research Quarterly for Exercise & Sport, 60, 48–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meece, J. L., Anderman, E. M., & Anderman, L. H. (2006). Classroom goal structure, student motivation, and academic achievement. Annual Review of Psychology, 57, 487–503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michell, J. (1990). An introduction to the logic of psychological measurement. Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michell, J. (1999). Measurement in psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Midgley, C., Maehr, M. L., Hruda, L. Z., Anderman, E., Anderman, L., Freeman, K. E., et al. (2000). Manual for the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mizuno, K., Tanaka, M., Ishii, A., Tanabe, H. C., Onoe, H., Sadato, N., et al. (2008). The neural basis of academic achievement motivation. NeuroImage, 42, 369–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, P. K., & Alexander, P. A. (2000). A motivated exploration of motivation terminology. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 3–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, J. G. (1978). The development of the concepts of effort and ability, perception of academic attainment, and the understanding that difficult tasks require more ability. Child Development, 49, 800–814.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, J. G. (1984). Achievement motivation: Conceptions of ability, subjective experience, task choice, and performance. Psychological Review, 91, 328–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nurmi, J.-E., & Aunola, K. (2005). Task motivation during the first school years: A person-oriented approach to longitudinal data. Learning & Instruction, 15, 103–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paris, S. G., Yambor, K. M., & Packard, B. W. (1998). Hands-on biology: A museum–school–university partnership for enhancing students’ interest and learning in science. Elementary School Journal, 98, 267–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patrick, H., Ryan, A. M., Anderman, L. H., Middleton, M., Linnenbrink, L., Hruda, L. Z., et al. (1997). Manual for Observing Patterns of Adaptive Learning (OPAL): A protocol for classroom observations. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peklaj, C., & Bucik, N. (2003). Vprasalnik bralne motivacije za mlajse ucence [Reading motivation questionnaire for young students]. In: S. Pečjak (Ed.), Bralna motivacija kot dejavnik učinkovitega učenja in izobraževanja. Raziskovalno poročilo [Reading motivation as a factor of effective learning and education. Research report]. Ljubljana: Znanstveni inštitut Filozofske fakultete.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry, N. E., VandeKamp, K. O., Mercer, L. K., & Nordby, C. J. (2002). Investigating teacher-student interactions that foster self-regulated learning. Educational Psychologist, 37, 5–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piers, E. V. (1984). Piers–Harris children’s self-concept scale: Revised manual. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pierson, J. M. (1999). Transforming engagement in literacy instruction: The role of student genuine interest and ability. Annals of Dyslexia, 49, 307–329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pintrich, P. R. (2000). Multiple goals, multiple pathways: The role of goal orientation in learning and achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 544–555.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pintrich, P. R. (2003). A motivational science perspective on the role of student motivation in learning and teaching contexts. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95, 667–686.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pintrich, P. R., & De Groot, E. V. (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 33–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pintrich, P. R., & Schunk, D. H. (1996). Motivation in education: Theory, research and applications. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D. A. F., Garcia, T., & McKeachie, W. J. (1993). Reliability and predictive validity of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Educational & Psychological Measurement, 53, 801–813.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, N., & Sachs, J. (1999). Confirmatory factor analysis of the Chinese version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Educational & Psychological Measurement, 59, 1016–1029.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratner, C. (1993). Contributions of sociohistorical psychology and phenomenology to research methodology. In H. J. Stam, L. P. Mos, W. Thorngate & B. Kaplan (Eds.), Recent trends in theoretical psychology (Vol. III, pp. 503–510). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeve, J., & Cole, S. G. (1987). Integration of affect and cognition in intrinsic motivation. Journal of Psychology, 121, 441–449.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeve, J., & Nix, G. (1997). Expressing intrinsic motivation through acts of exploration and facial displays of interest. Motivation & Emotion, 21, 237–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rheinberg, F., Vollmeyer, R., & Rollet, W. (2000). Motivation and action in self-regulated learning. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 503–529). New York: Academic.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ross, S. R., Putnam, S. H., & Adams, K. M. (2006). Psychological disturbance, incomplete effort, and compensation-seeking status as predictors of neuropsychological test performance in head injury. Journal of Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology, 28, 111–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schiefele, U., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1995). Motivation and ability as factors in mathematics experience and achievement. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 26, 163–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, E. F., Lang, A., Shin, M., & Bradley, S. D. (2004). Death with a story: How story impacts emotional, motivational, and physiological responses to first-person shooter video games. Human Communication Research, 30, 361–375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultheiss, O. C., & Brunstein, J. C. (2005). An implicit motive perspective on competence. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of competence and motivation. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schunk, D. H. (1991). Self-efficacy and academic motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26, 207–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shedivy, S. L. (2004). Factors that lead some students to continue the study of foreign language past the usual 2 years in high school. System, 32, 103–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sijtsma, K. (2009). On the use, the misuse, and the very limited usefulness of Cronbach’s alpha. Psychometrika, 74(1), 107–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, R. M. (1996). A comparison of methods for determining dimensionality in Rasch measurement. Structural Equation Modeling, 3, 25–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snow, R. E., Corno, L., & Jackson, D. N. (1996). Individual differences in affective and conative functions. In D. C. Berliner & R. C. Calfee (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (pp. 243–310). New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spinelli, E. (1989). The interpreted world: An introduction to phenomenological psychology. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swalander, L., & Taube, K. (2007). Influences of family based prerequisites, reading attitude & self-regulation on reading ability. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 32, 206–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S. F., Welsh, R. C., Wager, T. D., Phan, K. L., Fitzgerald, K. D., & Gehring, W. J. (2004). A functional neuroimaging study of motivation and executive function. NeuroImage, 21, 1045–1054.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, J. C., Midgley, C., Meyer, D. K., Gheen, M., Anderman, E. M., Kang, Y., et al. (2002). The classroom environment and students’ reports of avoidance strategies in mathematics: A multimethod study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 94, 88–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Urdan, T., & Mestas, M. (2006). The goals behind performance goals. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 354–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veermans, M., & Tapola, A. (2004). Primary school students’ motivational profiles in longitudinal settings. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 48, 373–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Velleman, P. F., & Wilkinson, L. (1993). Nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio typologies are misleading. The American Statistician, 47, 65–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vestewig, R. E., & Paradise, C. A. (1977). Multidimensional scaling of the TAT and the measurement of achievement motivation. Journal of Personality Assessment, 41, 595–603.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Washburn, D. A., & Putney, R. T. (2001). Attention and task difficulty: When is performance facilitated? Learning & Motivation, 32, 36–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, M. W., & Coffey, D. Y. (2004). Reading motivation: Multidimensional and indeterminate. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96, 110–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waugh, R. F. (2006). Rasch measurement. In N. J. Salkind (Ed.), The encyclopaedia of measurement and statistics. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waugh, R. F., & Chapman, E. S. (2005). An analysis of dimensionality using factor analysis (True Score Theory) and Rasch measurement: What is the difference? Which method is better? Journal of Applied Measurement, 6, 80–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiner, B. (1992). Motivation. In M. C. Alkin (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of educational research (6th ed., pp. 860–865). New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • West, J. (2002). Motivation and access to help: The influence of status on one child’s motivation for literacy learning. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 18, 205–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wicker, F. W., Brown, G., Wiehe, J. A., & Shim, W. (1990). Moods, goals, and measures of intrinsic motivation. Journal of Psychology, 124, 75–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wigfield, A. (1997). Reading motivation: A domain-specific approach to motivation. Educational Psychologist, 32, 59–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wigfield, A., & Guthrie, J. T. (1995). Dimensions of children’s motivations for reading: An initial study. Reading Research Report, 34, 1–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wigfield, A., & Guthrie, J. T. (1997). Relations of children’s motivation for reading to the amount and breadth of their reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89, 420–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wigfield, A., Eccles, J. S., Yoon, K. S., Harold, R. D., Arbreton, A. J. A., Freedman-Doan, C., et al. (1997). Change in children's competence beliefs and subjective task values across the elementary school years: A 3-year study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89, 451–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, K. M., & Trainin, G. (2007). First grade students' motivation and achievement for reading, writing, and spelling. Reading Psychology, 28, 257–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worrell, F. C. (1997). An exploratory factor analysis of Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents with academically talented students. Educational & Psychological Measurement, 57, 1016–1024.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, B. D. (1996). Comparing Rasch measurement and factor analysis. Structural Equation Modeling, 3, 3–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeung, A. B. (2004). The octagon model of volunteer motivation: Results of a phenomenological analysis. Voluntas, 15, 21–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, P. T. (1950). Motivation. In W. S. Monroe (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of educational research (revised edition) (pp. 755–761). New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zalla, T., Koechlin, E., Pietrini, P., Basso, G., Aquino, P., Sirigu, A., et al. (2000). Differential amygdala responses to winning and losing: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study in humans. European Journal of Neuroscience, 12, 1764–1770.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, B. J. (2008). Investigating self-regulation and motivation: Historical background, methodological developments, and future prospects. American Educational Research Journal, 45, 166–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA

    Sara M. Fulmer

  2. Departments of Child and Youth Studies & Psychology, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada

    Jan C. Frijters

Authors
  1. Sara M. Fulmer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jan C. Frijters
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jan C. Frijters.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fulmer, S.M., Frijters, J.C. A Review of Self-Report and Alternative Approaches in the Measurement of Student Motivation. Educ Psychol Rev 21, 219–246 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-009-9107-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-009-9107-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation