Effects on maintained situational interest and resource requests are mediated by perceived utility value (utility value manipulation) and perceived autonomy and triggered interest (choice manipulation)¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Perceived utility value mediated effects of the utility value manipulation on maintained situational interest (b = 0.16, p < .001) and resource requests (b = 0.03, p < .001). → Asher 2025 q3 i? The choice manipulation promoted maintained situational interest via perceived autonomy (b = 0.29, p < .001) and triggered situational interest (b = 0.06, p = .009). → Asher 2025 (2)

Evidence¶

Asher 2025¶

Asher, M. W., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2025). Using Choice and Utility Value to Promote Interest: Stimulating Situational Interest in a Lesson and Fostering the Development of Interest in Statistics. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000921

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Two-stage bootstrapped path analysis (lavaan in each study, then meta-analyzed indirect effects) across Studies 1–7 found "perceived utility value mediated effects of the utility value manipulation" on both maintained situational interest and resource requests.

"we found evidence that perceived utility value mediated effects of the utility value manipulation on maintained situational interest in regression, b = 0.16, p < .001, and resource requests, our behavioral indicator of emerging individual interest, b = 0.03, p < .001."

Asher 2025 (2)¶

Asher, M. W., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2025). Using Choice and Utility Value to Promote Interest: Stimulating Situational Interest in a Lesson and Fostering the Development of Interest in Statistics. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000921

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Meta-analyzed indirect effects showed "the choice manipulation may have promoted maintained situational interest in regression via two different mediators: perceived autonomy" and triggered situational interest during the lesson.

"the choice manipulation may have promoted maintained situational interest in regression via two different mediators: perceived autonomy, b = 0.29, p < .001, and triggered situational interest during the lesson, b = 0.06, p = .009."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Interest — outcome: instruction changes it
• Motivation — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Both choice and utility value manipulations increase maintained situational interest in regression by similar small amounts — related
• Providing meaningful choice during a lesson increases perceived autonomy and triggered situational interest in undergraduates learning statistics — related
• Utility value manipulation, but not choice, increases voluntary requests for statistics resources, a behavioral indicator of emerging individual interest — related
• Directly-communicated utility value increases beliefs about the usefulness of regression, unmoderated by baseline confidence or interest — related
• Learners invest more effort in tasks they perceive as interesting, personally important, or useful to their future goals. — a broader claim this one bears on
• Neither choice nor utility value manipulations improve end-of-session regression test performance, and the two manipulations do not interact — related