Utility value manipulation, but not choice, increases voluntary requests for statistics resources, a behavioral indicator of emerging individual interest¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r? · q3
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? The directly-communicated utility value manipulation increased the odds of requesting regression resources by 1.35 times relative to control (OR = 1.35, p = .042); the choice manipulation had no influence (OR = 1.02, p = .885). → Asher 2025

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 · r?

Meta-analyzed logistic regression of the binary resource-request outcome across Studies 1–7. The utility value manipulation "increased the odds that participants requested regression resources by 1.35 times relative to control, OR = 1.35, p = .042"; 39.2% of utility value participants versus 33.2% of controls requested resources.

"the directly-communicated utility value manipulation increased the odds that participants requested regression resources by 1.35 times relative to control, OR = 1.35, p = .042, suggesting that the manipulation promoted emerging individual interest in statistics."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Interest — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• 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) — related
• Neither choice nor utility value manipulations improve end-of-session regression test performance, and the two manipulations do not interact — related
• Directly-communicated utility value increases beliefs about the usefulness of regression, unmoderated by baseline confidence or interest — related
• Providing meaningful choice during a lesson increases perceived autonomy and triggered situational interest in undergraduates learning statistics — related
• Both choice and utility value manipulations increase maintained situational interest in regression by similar small amounts — 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