Eyes on the Prize: A Longitudinal Study of Action–State Orientation, Affect, and Academic Self-Regulation

Abstract

Action–state orientation (ASO) describes the ability to plan, initiate, and complete intended activities. Action-oriented individuals, compared to state-oriented, are better able to focus their efforts and therefore move toward goals. While Kuhl (1994) posits that affect mediates the relationship between personality traits like ASO and successful self-regulation, ASO scholarship rarely examines the role of affect, and no ASO studies have examined self-regulation over time. We address these limitations by examining students’ academic self-regulation over a semester. HLM analyses show that action- versus state-oriented people exhibit better academic self-regulation as expected. However, we found no support for affect as a mediator.

Citation

Dahling, J.J., Kay, S.A. and Vargovic, N.F. (2015), "Eyes on the Prize: A Longitudinal Study of Action–State Orientation, Affect, and Academic Self-Regulation", New Ways of Studying Emotions in Organizations (Research on Emotion in Organizations, Vol. 11), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 423-441. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1746-979120150000011016