A multidimensional motivation instrument

Abstract

Individual empirical studies of motivation show little divergent validity of various factors and call for better measures, especially multidimensional instruments. The same conclusions were reached from a meta analysis of 40 motivation studies by Uguroglu and Walberg (1979). After a study of approximately 50 instruments that measured motivation constructs of social, emotional, and physical self-concept; locus of control; and achievement motivation, among others, a 23-anchored-item questionnaire using a five-point scale was developed that included these factors. The instrument was administered in May of the first and second year to 115 students in grades three through eight. The purpose of the research was to operationalize and field test a motivation instrument using multidimensional measures; also to consider whether any change would occur in the correlation of a multidimensional instrument to various achievement measures over unidimensional ones. Results of the study show the correlations of motivation to academic achievement, test-retest reliability, and the predictive validity of a multidimensional instrument.