Intrinsic and extrinsic future goals: Their differential effects on students’ self‐control and distal learning outcomes

Research on intrinsic and extrinsic future goals has mostly focused on their impact on wellbeing with relatively lesser attention being focused on key learning outcomes. This study investigates how the pursuit of different future goals (i.e., society‐, family‐, career‐, wealth‐, and fame‐oriented go...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology in the schools 2019-12, Vol.56 (10), p.1596-1613
Main Authors: Zhoc, Karen C. H., King, Ronnel B., Law, Wilbert, McInerney, Dennis M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Achievement Tests
English (Second Language)
Foreign Countries
future goals
Goal Orientation
intrinsic and extrinsic goals
Language Tests
Learning
Mathematics
Mathematics Tests
Objectives
Outcomes of Education
Questionnaires
Secondary School Students
Self Control
Self Determination
self‐determination theory (SDT)
Students
Wealth
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Summary:Research on intrinsic and extrinsic future goals has mostly focused on their impact on wellbeing with relatively lesser attention being focused on key learning outcomes. This study investigates how the pursuit of different future goals (i.e., society‐, family‐, career‐, wealth‐, and fame‐oriented goals) affects students’ self‐control, and whether self‐control mediates the relationship between future goals and distal learning outcomes (i.e., students’ affect to school and academic achievement 1 year later). The study adopted a longitudinal design involving 8,354 secondary students from 16 schools in Hong Kong. Students had to complete English and Mathematics achievement tests and answer questionnaires measuring the key variables. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated intrinsic future goals were more adaptive compared to extrinsic ones. In particular, results revealed the importance of society‐oriented goal on self‐control and distal learning outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
ISSN:0033-3085
1520-6807
DOI:10.1002/pits.22287