Academic Motivation of Elementary School Children in Two Educational Approaches — Innovative and Traditional

Background. While the current literature provides valuable insight into how school climate perceptions and student motivation impact academic achievement, research examining the mediating efects of motivation in the linking of an innovative educational system, school climate, and achievement is limited. Tis study considers the potential of the El’konin–Davydov system of developmental education as a basis for educational innovation. Self-determination theory is applied as a useful theoretical framework that allows for consideration of both the intensity and the quality of academic motivation. Objective. Te study examines a model that illustrates the role of intrinsic and different types of extrinsic motivation in linking the El’konin–Davydov system of developmental education (DE) and school climate to the academic achievement of elementary schoolchildren. Design. Participants were 345 third and fourth graders drawn from four public schools in Moscow, with some (N = 192, 2 schools) educated in the traditional system and others (N = 153, 2 schools) in one that follows the DE system. A cross-sectional design was implemented. Results. Students in the DE system showed signifcantly lower external motivation for all three subscales (Parents, Teachers, General) and perceived school climate more favorably. Structural equation modeling showed that the hypothesized model ft the data well, supporting the hypothesis that student external motivation plays a mediating role in linking educational system (innovative vs. traditional) with academic achievement. Students’ autonomous motivation was shown to play a mediating role in linking positive perceptions of school climate with academic achievement. Conclusion. Te elementary school students from developmental education classes compared to their peers from traditional education classes demonstrate more positive profle of academic motivation including lower external motivation, more positive attitude towards school and study; however, the two groups do not difer in the level of intrinsic, identifed, and introjected motivations

Dispositional Gratitude as a Mediator in the Influence of Life Goals on Psychological Well-Being

Background. Solving practical problems to support the psychological well-being of youth determines the relevance of the research of its psychological factors. Objective. The aim is to test the assumption that dispositional gratitude mediates the influence of internal and external life aspirations (goals) on well-being on a sample of Russian high school students. Sample. 5,635 high school students (grades 10–11) from 422 schools in Yakutia aged 16 to 18 years (M = 16.81, SD = 0.68), 41% of them boys. Methods. An empirical study was conducted with the use of psychological questionnaires: Gratitude Scale by M. McCullough, R. Emmons and J. Tsang, the non-verbal scale Attitude to Study and Life, the Myself scale from MSLSS by E.S. Huebner, and the short version of Aspirations Index by T. Kasser and R. Ryan. Correlations, regression analysis, and structural equation modeling were used for data analysis. Results. It is shown that psychological well-being of high school students is directly related to gratitude, as well as intrinsic and extrinsic life aspirations. In turn, gratitude, associated with both intrinsic and extrinsic goals, mediates relations between well-being and life aspirations. The indirect effect of intrinsic goals on well-being is positive, while such effect of the extrinsic ones is negative. Conclusion. The results of the study indicate the important role of gratitude as a mediator of the relations between life aspirations and psychological well-being in adolescence. The findings can be used to plan interventions to improve well-being of youth through the development of dispositional gratitude and increased focus on internal goals

WAY OF MAINTAINING THE SELF-RESPECT AS PREDICTOR OF LIFE SATISFACTION, ACADEMIC MOTIVATION AND PERSISTENCE IN ADOLESCENTS

The article deals with the problem of healthy contingencies of self-respect (self-respect based on own achievements and competence and self-respect based on others’ acceptance) and neurotic contingencies of self-respect based on “pseudo-achievements”. According to A. Maslow’s theory of motivation, these two types of self-respect are expected to have different consequences for the psychological and school well-being of schoolchildren. The results showed that self-respect based on one’s own competence, efforts, and achievements predicted psychological well-being, intrinsic and autonomous academic motivation, and persistence. Self-respect based on others’ acceptance (approval) predicted only the motivation based on respect from parents and did not predict psychological well-being and persistence. Self-respect based on pseudo-achievements predicted external motivation and negatively predicted academic persistence (grit). The obtained results can serve as a basis for development of trainings which promote healthy self-respect by facilitation of personal competence development, constructive thinking, and ability to cope with difficult situations

Russians Inhibit the Expression of Happiness to Strangers: Testing a Display Rule Model

Cultural stereotypes and considerable psychological research suggest that Russians are less happy and more stoic than Americans and Westerners. However, a second possibility is simply that cultural norms deter Russians from displaying happiness that they actually feel. To test this second possibility, three studies compared the emotional inhibition tendencies in U.S. and Russian student samples. Although Russians and Americans were no different on subjective well-being (SWB), a consistent three-way interaction was found such that Russians (compared with Americans) reported greater inhibition of the expression of happiness (vs. unhappiness), but mainly to strangers (vs. friends/family). Russians also viewed their peers and countrymen as behaving similarly. Furthermore, a consistent interaction was found such that the degree of happiness inhibition with strangers was negatively correlated with SWB in the U.S. samples but was unrelated to SWB in the Russian samples. Given the equivalent levels of SWB observed in these data, we suggest that Russians may not be less happy than Americans, as this would illogically entail that they exaggerate their SWB reports while also claiming to inhibit their expression of happiness. Implications for emotion researchers and international relations are considered

Russians Inhibit the Expression of Happiness to Strangers: Testing a Display Rule Model

Cultural stereotypes and considerable psychological research suggest that Russians are less happy and more stoic than Americans and Westerners. However, a second possibility is simply that cultural norms deter Russians from displaying happiness that they actually feel. To test this second possibility, three studies compared the emotional inhibition tendencies in U.S. and Russian student samples. Although Russians and Americans were no different on subjective well-being (SWB), a consistent three-way interaction was found such that Russians (compared with Americans) reported greater inhibition of the expression of happiness (vs. unhappiness), but mainly to strangers (vs. friends/family). Russians also viewed their peers and countrymen as behaving similarly. Furthermore, a consistent interaction was found such that the degree of happiness inhibition with strangers was negatively correlated with SWB in the U.S. samples but was unrelated to SWB in the Russian samples. Given the equivalent levels of SWB observed in these data, we suggest that Russians may not be less happy than Americans, as this would illogically entail that they exaggerate their SWB reports while also claiming to inhibit their expression of happiness. Implications for emotion researchers and international relations are considered

Russians inhibit the expression of happiness to strangers: testing a display rule model

Cultural stereotypes and considerable psychological research suggest that Russians are less happy and more stoic than Americans and Westerners. However, a second possibility is simply that cultural norms deter Russians from displaying happiness that they actually feel. To test this second possibility, three studies compared the emotional inhibition tendencies in U.S. and Russian student samples. Although Russians and Americans were no different on subjective well-being (SWB), a consistent three-way interaction was found such that Russians (compared with Americans) reported greater inhibition of the expression of happiness (vs. unhappiness), but mainly to strangers (vs. friends/family). Russians also viewed their peers and countrymen as behaving similarly. Furthermore, a consistent interaction was found such that the degree of happiness inhibition with strangers was negatively correlated with SWB in the U.S. samples but was unrelated to SWB in the Russian samples. Given the equivalent levels of SWB observed in these data, we suggest that Russians may not be less happy than Americans, as this would illogically entail that they exaggerate their SWB reports while also claiming to inhibit their expression of happiness. Implications for emotion researchers and international relations are considered

Russians inhibit the expression of happiness to strangers: testing a display rule model

Cultural stereotypes and considerable psychological research suggest that Russians are less happy and more stoic than Americans and Westerners. However, a second possibility is simply that cultural norms deter Russians from displaying happiness that they actually feel. To test this second possibility, three studies compared the emotional inhibition tendencies in U.S. and Russian student samples. Although Russians and Americans were no different on subjective well-being (SWB), a consistent three-way interaction was found such that Russians (compared with Americans) reported greater inhibition of the expression of happiness (vs. unhappiness), but mainly to strangers (vs. friends/family). Russians also viewed their peers and countrymen as behaving similarly. Furthermore, a consistent interaction was found such that the degree of happiness inhibition with strangers was negatively correlated with SWB in the U.S. samples but was unrelated to SWB in the Russian samples. Given the equivalent levels of SWB observed in these data, we suggest that Russians may not be less happy than Americans, as this would illogically entail that they exaggerate their SWB reports while also claiming to inhibit their expression of happiness. Implications for emotion researchers and international relations are considered