Social comparison is prevalent, even within classrooms, yet limited research explores its impact on academic outcomes. The current study adopted social comparison theory and achievement goal theory and tested a structural equation model that explained the pathways among two types of social comparison (i.e. ability-based and opinion-based),…

This study explores the differences in the motivational profiles of under-achieving gifted students and high-achieving gifted and non-gifted students. In comparison to their high-achieving peers, under-achieving gifted students reported weaker motivational orientations, in both achievement and social goals, as well as in intrinsic motivation.…

Background: Previous prospective studies have documented that mastery-approach goals are adaptive because they facilitate less negative psychological responses to unfavourable social comparisons than performance-approach goals. Aims: This study aimed to confirm this so-called "mastery goal advantage" effect experimentally. Methods: A…

Few studies have investigated the effects of the instructions provided in educational computer games on cognitive processing and learning outcomes. In our experiment, we sought to compare the effects on learning outcomes of two different types of goal-oriented instructions: "mastery-goal" instructions, which prompt learners to develop…

The influence of culture on learning and motivation has been the topic of much research in recent years. Educational and psychological researchers are now aware that the findings of their studies may not apply to other cultures, and that in this age of globalization and multiculturalism it is very important to examine the applicability of…