ERIC Number: EJ886217
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Jun
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0007-0998
EISSN: N/A
Interpretation of Self-Talk and Post-Lecture Affective States of Higher Education Students: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective
Oliver, Emily J.; Markland, David; Hardy, James
British Journal of Educational Psychology, v80 n2 p307-323 Jun 2010
Background: Self-determination theory posits that informational versus controlling interpretations of intra-personal events have positive and negative implications, respectively, for well-being. Self-talk represents an intra-personal event that could be interpreted as informational or controlling and may attenuate or exacerbate the negative effects of a stressful experience. Aims: The present study investigated relationships between students' informational and controlling interpretations of self-talk, and their post-lecture affective state. An interactive hypothesis, whereby self-talk would be more strongly associated with well-being when students reported experiencing the lecture as stressful, was also tested. Sample: Participants were 146 male and female undergraduate students (M age = 19.25, SD = 2.57) enrolled on research methods/statistics modules. Methods: Immediately post-lecture, participants completed a measure of informational and controlling self-talk, short forms of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, and self-report measures of their experience and understanding of the lecture. Results: Findings from moderated hierarchical regression analyses indicated that informational self-talk was positively associated with positive affect regardless of students' experience or understanding of a lecture. Significant interactions were found between controlling self-talk and experience and understanding, in that a negative experience or poor understanding predicted higher state anxiety and negative affect when students used high, but not low, levels of controlling self-talk. Conclusions: The functional significance of students' self-talk may have implications for affect in higher education, suggesting that providers should promote the use of self-talk that emphasizes students' autonomy and competence.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Higher Education, Research Methodology, Lecture Method, Anxiety, Self Determination, Theories, Multiple Regression Analysis, Personal Autonomy, Competence
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A