Pilot study of self-determination theory and motivational interviewing intervention targeting need satisfaction, motivation, and procrastination.

Abstract

Academic procrastination is a pervasive behavior that negatively affects students' productivity, mental health, and academic success. Despite this, research regarding effective interventions remains scarce. According to self-determination theory (SDT), there are three basic psychological needs (BPNs) that are antecedents to motivation. Previous research has suggested links between BPN satisfaction, academic motivation, and academic procrastination; however, no interventions have focused on these variables. The present study tested the efficacy of an SDT-and motivational interviewing (MI)based group intervention in an academic setting. Two hundred twenty-three university students were randomized to the intervention or control groups. Intervention outcomes were examined using two-way repeated-measures analysis of variances. Results suggested that our intervention increased BPN satisfaction; however, it did not significantly increase autonomous motivation or decrease academic procrastination. The findings of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of MI strategies in targeting BPN. Moreover, our study demonstrated MI's effectiveness in providing autonomy support and creating an autonomy-supportive, therapeutic environment. This approach could be translated into the classroom to increase BPN satisfaction on a larger scale for students.

Motivational Interviewing to Support the Goals of College Students

“…Thus, SBMI with demonstrated fidelity in college settings has yet to find significant direct effects on student achievement; though it has promise in supporting dispositions and aspects of learning (e.g., self-efficacy, motivation; Blankenship, 2021;Lee et al, 2022;Wang & Lu, 2020). In college settings, SBMI has been applied internationally to undergraduate students struggling with online learning, students on academic probation/alert, students with procrastination problems, students receiving coaching, and psychology students (Blankenship, 2021;Lee et al, 2021;Oram et al, 2022;Shahbaazi et al, 2021;Strait et al, 2019;Wang & Lu, 2020). When a student expresses ambivalence or a need to change a current self-identified problem, SBMI becomes a helpful tool.…”

Supporting college student self-determination through motivational interviewing

“…As the use of SBMI in our target population is new and innovative, the following describes an initial attempt to gain insight into the mechanisms of an intervention utilizing MI deployed for underperforming post-secondary students who have experienced recent academic failure; one that honors outcome expectation and autonomy through the self-expressed personal goals of the target population. SBMI has been applied in one-to-one, small group, and large group settings internationally to undergraduate students struggling with online learning, students on academic probation/alert, students with procrastination problems, and students receiving coaching (Lee et al ., 2022; Oram et al ., 2022; Shahbaazi et al ., 2021; Wang and Lu, 2020). Researchers have yet to explore the student perceptions of MI as a stand-alone strategy while fully reporting implementation fidelity.…”