To Study or Not to Study? Investigating the Link Between Time Perspectives and Motivational Interference

Abstract

T he aim of this study was to explore possible synergies between research on motivational interference and time perspectives. A conceptual model relating individual differences in time perspectives to motivational interference during studying and leisure and academic achievement was tested. Filipino college students (N = 385) participated in the study. Results from the path analysis indicated that future time perspective was positively associated with motivational interference during leisure and negatively associated with motivational interference during studying. Moreover, future time perspective also positively predicted academic achievement. Present fatalistic and past negative time perspectives were positively associated with motivational interference during studying. Present hedonistic time perspective negatively predicted motivational interference during leisure. Motivational interference during studying, in turn, was negatively associated with academic achievement. Implications are discussed.Keywords: time perspective, motivational interference, future time perspective (FTP), school-leisure conflict 'Should I be studying or would I be better off partying with my friends?' 'Should I spend the night working on my homework or should I just slack off and go to my friend's place?' Studies have shown that students face these types of school-leisure conflicts quite frequently (Fries, Schmid, Dietz, & Hofer, 2005; Randel, Stevenson, & Witruk, 2000). When students have to choose between two alternatives and even when they end up choosing one of the two mutually incompatible goals (e.g., school vs. leisure goals), they may experience motivational interference during the performance of the chosen action.Motivational interference refers to the 'cognitive, affective, and behavioural impairment of a chosen activity as a result of the motivational properties of a nonchosen alternative ' (Hofer, Schmid, Fries, Kilian, & Kuhle, 2010; p. 623). It has been found to be related to important outcomes such as academic achievement, persistence, concentration, learning strategies, mood, time invested in studying, and life satisfaction among others (Fries et al., 2005;Hofer, 2007;Hofer, Kuhnle, Kilian, Marta, & Fries, 2011; Ratelle, Vallerand, Senecal, & Provenchel, 2005).Address for correspondence : Ronnel B. King, Learning Sciences Laboratory, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616. Email: ronnel.king@nie.edu.sg Given the prevalence and importance of motivational interference, it is surprising that it has received only minimal attention from educational researchers. Moreover, the few studies that did investigate it focused exclusively on the role of values as precursors of motivational interference with other possible antecedents being mostly neglected. The overall aim of this study was to examine a theoretically derived model that elucidates the antecedents and consequences of motivational interference. We proposed a conceptual model that integrates two theoretic...

A Review of the Literature on the School-Work-Life Interface

“…Due to scarce research that considers other life domains such as family and leisure, little is known about what gives rise to conflict and facilitation involving these domains or about the relevant consequences. This is a noteworthy gap because most working undergraduates not only combine work and school roles but also devote some of their limited time and resources to familial and leisure responsibilities (Butler, 2007; King & Gaerlan, 2013). Thus, the current SWL literature may not accurately depict what working undergraduates experience when managing multiple life domains.…”

“…Further research into the life domains of working undergraduates in relation to their work and school domains can build on prior research on family and leisure among nonworking undergraduates, in order to foster a more comprehensive understanding of the SWL interface for working undergraduates. For instance, research has found that the leisure-school and family-school interfaces are associated with academic consequences such as academic satisfaction and performance (e.g., King & Gaerlan, 2013). An assumption that other life roles may be as demanding as undergraduates' work and school roles, yet may offer a unique set of resources, is a promising topic for future research that could provide valuable insights into the SWL interface.…”

Multiple action options in the context of time: When exams approach, students study more and experience fewer motivational conflicts

“…Combining these perspectives, we theorized that relative study motivation would be higher the closer an exam was in time and that this would be reflected both in students' study activities and conflict experience over time. The relationship of time and motivational conflicts has barely been considered so far (King & Gaerlan, 2013). To our knowledge, the present study is the first one that investigates the experience of motivational conflicts as they occur in students' everyday lives in the context of actual passing time.…”

Play or learn: European‐American and Chinese kindergartners' perceptions about the conflict

“…Research on older students (Bembenutty & Karabenick, ; Zimbardo & Boyd, ) demonstrated that future time perspective is involved in individuals’ encoding, storing, and recalling their past and ongoing life experiences to form goals and expectations and project themselves in future frames. Future time perspective predicts better study strategies and achievement (Barber, Munz, Bagsby, & Grawitch, ; Horstmanshof & Zimitat, ; King & Gaerlan, ; Phan, ). Thus, future time perspective is likely to play a role in children's CLP‐related perceptions and responses.…”