Integrating the concepts self-efficacy and motivation regulation: How do self-efficacy beliefs for motivation regulation influence self-regulatory success?

Integrating findings from research on self-efficacy and motivation regulation, the present studies explored the concept of self-efficacy for motivation regulation, which refers to students' beliefs about effectively using strategies to regulate their motivation. In this work, we suggest that students' self-efficacy for motivation regulation represents an additional source of potential success or failure in motivation regulation in two ways. It could (a) lead to a more frequent use of motivation regulation strategies, thereby enhancing effort (mediation effect), whereas it may also (b) increase the effectivity of strategy use with more self-efficacious individuals applying strategies more thoroughly (moderation effect). We explored the two suggested mechanisms in three large samples of German university students. Path analyses revealed direct associations between self-efficacy beliefs and frequency of motivation regulation strategy use (β = 0.43 to 0.47). Further, self-efficacy for motivation regulation influenced effort via an increased frequency of motivation regulation strategy use (indirect effects of β = 0.11 to.14), while the expected interaction effect of self-efficacy and strategy use was not significant. Furthermore, self-efficacy for motivation regulation more strongly predicted positive affect than grades, indicating a stronger role within the motivational-affective components of self-regulated learning and thus rather indirect links to actual achievement. Overall, our findings imply that supporting students' self-efficacy beliefs for motivation regulation can enhance self-regulatory success.