Students' expectancy, intrinsic value, and utility value decline significantly while perceived psychological and effort costs increase during the first half of gateway math courses¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r? · q3
Currency · newest study 2021 · checked against its sources 2026-10-24 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

Reading the evidence codes

q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.

This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.

q3 i? Latent change score analyses revealed significant decreases in expectancy, intrinsic value, and utility value (ΔM = −0.36 to −0.30, ps < .001) and increases in psychological and effort costs (ΔM = 0.40 and 0.26, ps < .001) from the beginning to midpoint of the semester. → Daria Katharina Benden and Fani Lauermann 2021

Evidence¶

Daria Katharina Benden and Fani Lauermann 2021¶

Daria Katharina Benden and Fani Lauermann. (2021). Students' Motivational Trajectories and Academic Success in Math-Intensive Study Programs: Why Short-Term Motivational Assessments Matter. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000708

q3 · i? · associational · r?

Latent change score analysis of N = 1,004 first-semester students across three math-intensive programs, assessed at beginning (T1), midpoint (T5), and end (T6) of semester. Found "significant decreases in students' expectancy, intrinsic value, and utility value" and increases in costs, all ps < .001.

"This motivational decline was characterized by significant decreases in students' expectancy, intrinsic value, and utility value (ΔM = −0.36 to −0.30, ps < .001) and corresponding increases in perceived psychological and effort costs (ΔM = 0.40 and ΔM = 0.26, ps < .001; see Table 2)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

Interest — outcome: instruction changes it

Between 10% and 21% of students experienced significant declines in expectancy, intrinsic value, and utility value during the first half of the semester — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
Motivational changes in the first half of the semester predicted end-of-term study program satisfaction, exam performance, and course dropout — related
Math self-concept is more highly correlated with intrinsic value and low cost than with attainment and utility value — related
Utility-value interventions enhance perceived utility value, engagement, performance, and persistence in introductory college science courses — related
Students experienced a motivational shock between Weeks 2 and 3 coinciding with first performance feedback on mandatory math worksheets — a narrower finding that bears on this claim

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`claim`
`id`	`first-half-semester-motivational-decline-gateway-math`
`title`	`Students' expectancy, intrinsic value, and utility value decline significantly while perceived psychological and effort costs increase during the first half of gateway math courses`
`description`	`Students' expectancy, intrinsic value, and utility value decline significantly while perceived psychological and effort costs increase during the first half of gateway math courses`
`status`	`review`
`evidence_strength`	`moderate`
`newest_evidence`	`2021`
`source_checked`	`2026-10-24`
`generated`	by `process:wiki-ingest` on `2026-10-24`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `daria-katharina-benden-and-fani-lauermann-2021`

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