| The purpose of this study was to explore the self-oriented aspects of the learning process. In addressing the question of "self" in the learning process and more specifically the role of motivation in learning, this study built on the evolving field of research on self-regulated learning.;Many current models of self-regulation explicitly or implicitly infer self-regulation solely from observable behaviors that a student supposedly implements to move toward high levels of academic achievement (e.g., seeking information, keeping records (Zimmerman, 1989)). This view of self-regulation overlooks the importance of students' reflective awareness of their antecedent attitudes, judgments, and beliefs about what they want or believe they are capable of accomplishing academically.;In this dissertation, a model of self-regulation is proposed that suggests that reflective intentionality is fundamental to purposeful academic behavior. This means that higher levels of reflective awareness of one's volitional judgments (e.g., task interest, self-efficacy) promote the development and implementation of task-related goals and actions consistent with one's volitional judgments. Lack of awareness of one's volitional judgments leads, it is proposed, to inconsistency between one's personal intentions and one's task-related goals and actions.;Three hypotheses were tested in this study. In general, it was hypothesized that subjects who were more reflectively aware of their motivational status would: (1) demonstrate greater consistency among their intentions, goals, and actions on the task; (2) be less vulnerable to the debilitating effects of the false feedback; and (3) persevere and perform better on the task than unreflective subjects.;Undergraduate subjects (N = 269) completed two experimental sessions separated by two weeks. The experimental task was a decision-making task carried out on a personal computer. During Session Two of the study, half of the subjects received false feedback information from motivational questionnaires they completed in Session One. Subjects responded in writing to feedback information, set goals for effort and performance on the experimental task, completed the task, and completed post-task questionnaires on motivation and metacognition.;The hypotheses were analyzed using a repeated-measures MANOVA and ANOVA procedures. All three hypotheses were supported. Major findings, limitations of the study, and future research directions are discussed. |
