Nonlinear CVT extensions show cubic control terms with negative coefficients for negative emotions in the full sample, but the coefficient's sign differs across latent profiles¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Cubic Academic Control terms suggest attenuation of the linear effect at low and high control in full-sample analyses, contrasting with the over-/underchallenge hypothesis, and the pattern varies in sign across profiles. → Dirk Tempelaar · Alexandra Niculescu 2026

Evidence¶

Dirk Tempelaar · Alexandra Niculescu 2026¶

Dirk Tempelaar · Alexandra Niculescu. (2026). Testing the Relative Universalism of Psychological Theories: A Person-Centered Analysis of Control-Value Theory. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-026-10155-2

q2 · i? · associational · r3

Robustness analyses with nonlinear specifications (control–value interactions and a cubic control term). The article reports results "largely consistent with the linear models" with only modest predictive gains, but more pronounced profile differences; in the low-control profile the cubic coefficient becomes positive, indicating a different functional form.

"In the full-sample and grouping analyses, the cubic Academic Control term typically shows negative coefficients for negative emotions, suggesting attenuation of the linear effect at both low and high levels of control. This pattern contrasts with the over- and underchallenge hypothesis for boredom"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• In the HghLBO profile, boredom and enjoyment lose nearly all predictive power for persistence, though they predict persistence in full-sample and multigroup analyses — related
• CVT's control–anxiety relation breaks down across latent emotional profiles, with unstandardized coefficients ranging from −0.292 to +0.024 including non-significant positive effects — related
• CVT structural relations are largely stable across gender and prior-education groupings, supporting relative universalism under variable-centered tests — related
• Explained variance of CVT emotion models falls below 15% within latent profiles versus a median above 30% in grouping analyses, beyond what variance restriction explains — related
• The high-boredom (HghLBO) profile deviates from the linear control–emotion trend, showing elevated boredom and reduced enjoyment relative to its academic-control level — related
• Including control and value variables substantially reduced the effects of student- and class-level achievement on enjoyment, consistent with control-value theory — related
• Test boredom relates positively to over- and underchallenge and negatively to intrinsic and extrinsic value — related