Search Results (237)

This study examines changes associated with a guided introspective intervention in self-reflection, introspection, and motivational competences among future teachers. Conducted within a Master’s course in Teacher Training, the ten-session program employed the “Casa Vital” framework, a metaphorical and visual model representing personal and professional development through structured introspective exercises. Eighty-two participants completed the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS-SF) and selected subscales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) in a pre–post quasi-experimental design. Findings reveal significant increases in introspection, intrinsic goal orientation, control of learning beliefs, and self-efficacy for learning and performance (small–moderate effects), while self-reflection, extrinsic goal orientation and task value remained stable. These results suggest that guided introspection enhances motivational competences by promoting self-awareness, value clarification, and alignment of personal and professional goals. The intervention also seems to support autonomy-oriented engagement and purpose-driven decision-making, contributing to the development of reflective and resilient educators. Integrating structured introspective practices into teacher education may strengthen professional identity, psychological flexibility, and internal-driven motivation. The study underscores the practical potential of reflective frameworks such as Casa Vital to foster meaningful, self-determined, and adaptive teaching practices, offering an accessible and scalable approach for enhancing teacher preparation programs. Within the limits of a single-group pre–post design, these findings provide descriptive, theory-consistent indications that introspection may be associated with the cultivation of purposeful, motivated, and competent educators. Full article

Youth workers within non-profit organisations in South Africa play a vital role in supporting the government’s agenda to mainstream positive youth development through the delivery of youth services. This study aims to examine the motivations that drive youth workers to get involved in youth work practice and the challenges they experience while performing their roles in non-profit organisations in South Africa. This qualitative study purposively sampled 10 youth workers. Two methods of data collection were employed, which are the Qualitative Online Survey (QOS) and online interviews through WhatsApp telephonic conversations. Data collected were analysed through reflectivity thematic analysis. This study is informed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which highlights the intrinsic and extrinsic motivational sources that drive individuals to act or pursue specific goals. The findings indicate that wanting to gain practical work experience as well as the desire to make a difference in young people’s lives is a major drive for youth workers’ involvement in youth work practice within the NPO sector. The study further found that youth workers experience a variety of challenges that affect their productivity and their work in general, including lack of funding, absence of training, orientation and workshops as part of professional development, as well as community resistance. To address some of these challenges and encourage youth workers’ involvement in youth work practice within the NPO sector, this study recommends an urgent need for structured and continuous professional development pathways to strengthen youth workers’ skills, enhance programme effectiveness and support the professionalisation of youth work in South Africa. Full article

This article explores the foundations and scope of theological discourse on sustainability by drawing upon transcendental–philosophical and existential–phenomenological perspectives. This study addresses the ongoing debate regarding the unique contribution and place of theological appeals to sustainability, especially in relation to secular arguments and audiences. Building on the structures of human cognition, freedom, and meaning, as well as the phenomenological concepts of givenness and promise, this paper critically examines how these structures can both motivate sustainable behavior and serve as interfaces to theological creation and eschatology. The methodological approach combines systematic philosophical analysis with affirmative theology, especially reflecting on the interrelation between the cognitive and experiential dimensions of human existence. The findings suggest that sustainability is not merely a moral option promoted by extrinsic or intrinsic motivators but is deeply rooted in the anthropological groundings of the human being. This study argues that a philosophically and anthropologically grounded discourse on sustainability serves as a vital interface between religious conviction and secular reasoning, extending the reach and impact of sustainability ethics. Full article

Understanding the motivational determinants that have the greatest impact on athletic performance is often crucial for effectively supporting athletes during both training and competition periods. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine the relationships between different types and specific components of motivation and players’ performance effectiveness in one-on-one football competition. The study involved 91 football players representing clubs in Poland. The level of motivation was assessed using the SMS-28, while performance effectiveness was measured with a standardized one-on-one football test. Three performance indicators were analysed: offensive, defensive, and comprehensive effectiveness. The analysis showed that amotivation was significantly and negatively correlated with offensive effectiveness (r = −0.242; p < 0.05) and comprehensive effectiveness (r = −0.219; p < 0.05). No significant relationship were found with defensive effectiveness. Moreover, no significant associations were observed between intrinsic or extrinsic motivation and any of the analysed performance indicators. The findings suggest that a lack of motivation may impair offensive actions, which require greater initiative, whereas defensive effectiveness may be less dependent on motivational levels—possibly due to its more automatic nature. This underscores the importance of reducing amotivation through a supportive training environment, which may enhance engagement and improve individual performance outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: With the increase in the aging population and disabilities, long-term care facilities in Taiwan are experiencing workforce shortages that threaten sustainability. This study uses expectancy theory to examine the influence of organizational commitment and work motivation on retention intention, with work values as mediators of the relationships and work engagement as a moderator. Methods: Data were collected from 532 care attendants using purposive sampling. After excluding invalid responses, structural equation modeling analysis was conducted on 501 responses. Results: The results revealed that organizational commitment and work motivation do not directly predict retention intention but have positive indirect effects on retention intention through intrinsic and extrinsic work values, with extrinsic work values exerting more substantial indirect effects. The results also showed that work engagement positively and significantly strengthened the relationships between the antecedents to work values. Conclusions: This suggests that retention is more impacted by positively recognizing work values or caring for residents than by commitment and motivation. Theoretically, this study extends expectancy theory to long-term human resource management in care facilities. Practically, this reveals a need for high-performance work systems shaped by reward systems to improve engagement, stabilize the workforce, and decrease turnover. Full article

Self Determination Theory posits that individuals may be more likely to initiate and maintain behaviors tied to intrinsic (vs. extrinsic) motivations and may provide a useful framework for understanding youth participation in novel sports. Using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) and Patient-Centered Assessment and Counseling for Exercise Plus Nutrition (PACE+) surveys, motivation and physical activity habits were explored in 27 children/adolescents (ages 7–16) enrolled in Parkour, an individual, non-competitive youth sport. Fifteen Parkour participants were also interviewed to gain an understanding of their motivations for participating. Study participants had high median IMI subscale scores related to interest/enjoyment (6.71/7) and perceived choice (6.40/7) compared to the whole scale. Similarly median sub-scale Pros and Self-Efficacy scores for physical activity from the PACE+ were high (4.25/5 and 3.91/5, respectively). The themes of autonomy and enjoyment were consistently reported in the qualitative interviews, expanding on the quantitative results. Other themes included appreciation for camaraderie, creativity, and a drive for improvement. These results provide early evidence that Parkour, and similar lifestyle sports, may be tied more to intrinsic than extrinsic motivations and could have potential for adoption and maintenance by youth with low motivation to engage in physical activity to promote healthy behaviors. Full article

Psychological and motivational factors are implicated in various medical conditions, yet the link between physical health and life aspirations, as defined in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), remains underexplored. To address this gap and advance theory, we conducted a preliminary investigation of associations between aspirations and self-reported symptoms across five functional medical conditions—gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), headaches, sleep disturbances, and sexual dysfunction. We surveyed 392 Canadian medical patients (Mage = 42.8 years, SD = 12.7, 50.5% women, 82.1% white, 75.3% with higher education) to assess whether the relative importance, likelihood, and attainment of intrinsic (e.g., personal growth, relationships, community, health) and extrinsic (e.g., wealth, fame, image) aspirations were associated with symptoms. Consistent with hypotheses, greater relative prioritization of intrinsic goals was linked to fewer symptoms—especially sleep disturbance—while extrinsic aspirations were associated with increased symptoms, particularly GERD. Sociodemographic factors, such as age, gender, education, religiosity, and subjective financial status, also showed associations with goal orientations and symptom burden, broadly aligning with SDT predictions. Findings highlight the potential relevance of people’s personal goals in patient-centered care for functional conditions and underscore the need for further research exploring mechanisms and moderators of these effects. Full article

Motivation is a key variable in successful learning of English, and it is influenced by many factors. However, little research has examined teachers’ roles in motivating young learners (YLs) to learn English. Therefore, this study investigates how teachers’ roles and contextual and motivational factors predict YLs’ motivation to learn English by assessing whether teachers’ roles impact motivation directly or indirectly. Using a novel teacher perspective, the study incorporates these elements into a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) framework, highlighting direct and indirect pathways affecting children’s motivation. The study employed a quantitative approach by using a valid and reliable questionnaire, with strong internal consistency (CR ranged between 0.69 and 0.86 and α ranged between 0.70 and 0.86) to collect data from 225 English teachers of fifth graders. SEM was used for data analysis. Teachers weakly influenced YLs’ motivation to learn English (β = 0.281), but strongly impacted classroom contextual and motivational factors (β = 0.839). These factors significantly affected YLs’ motivation (β = 0.614) and mediated the impact of teachers’ roles (β = 0.515). Teachers significantly influenced YLs’ motivation by playing a crucial indirect role in shaping the learning environment that enhances students’ desire to learn when contextual and motivational factors mediate the effect. The findings suggest that schools should provide training programs that help teachers create motivational learning environments, such as providing meaningful tasks to motivate YLs intrinsically and extrinsically. The study adds further evidence to motivation theories, including self-determination theory, and sociocultural perspectives that recognize the role of contextual and interpersonal factors in shaping learners’ motivation. Full article

Local food (LF) consumption has achieved increasing attention over the last few decades, given its potential to enhance social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Despite its benefits, understanding consumer behaviour towards LF remains underexplored. This study investigates intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for LF consumption among young Italian consumers, applying Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Using structural equation modelling (SEM) on a sample of 931 respondents, this study reveals the significant roles of perceived benefits, knowledge, satisfaction, and food sustainability concern (FSC) in shaping people’s intention to consume LF. Moreover, the findings underscore the importance of food sustainability concerns, as an extrinsic motivation improving the effect of the intrinsic ones, thus fostering a persistent intention to consume local food. Full article

This study introduces a machine learning–driven extended reality (XR) interaction framework that leverages electroencephalography (EEG) for decoding consumer intentions in immersive decision-making tasks, demonstrated through functional food purchasing within a simulated autonomous vehicle setting. Recognizing inherent limitations in traditional “Preference vs. Non-Preference” EEG paradigms for immersive product evaluation, we propose a novel and robust “Rest vs. Intention” classification approach that significantly enhances cognitive signal contrast and improves interpretability. Eight healthy adults participated in immersive XR product evaluations within a simulated autonomous driving environment using the Microsoft HoloLens 2 headset (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, USA). Participants assessed 3D-rendered multivitamin supplements systematically varied in intrinsic (ingredient, origin) and extrinsic (color, formulation) attributes. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were extracted from 64-channel EEG recordings, specifically targeting five neurocognitive components: N1 (perceptual attention), P2 (stimulus salience), N2 (conflict monitoring), P3 (decision evaluation), and LPP (motivational relevance). Four ensemble classifiers (Extra Trees, LightGBM, Random Forest, XGBoost) were trained to discriminate cognitive states under both paradigms. The ‘Rest vs. Intention’ approach achieved high cross-validated classification accuracy (up to 97.3% in this sample), and area under the curve (AUC > 0.97) SHAP-based interpretability identified dominant contributions from the N1, P2, and N2 components, aligning with neurophysiological processes of attentional allocation and cognitive control. These findings provide preliminary evidence of the viability of ERP-based intention decoding within a simulated autonomous-vehicle setting. Our framework serves as an exploratory proof-of-concept foundation for future development of real-time, BCI-enabled in-transit commerce systems, while underscoring the need for larger-scale validation in authentic AV environments and raising important considerations for ethics and privacy in neuromarketing applications. Full article

Evidence from practice and academic literature indicates that, compared with traditional e-commerce, consumers in social commerce are more prone to impulsive purchasing. This heightened tendency can be attributed to the robust interaction among users in social commerce. Peer intrinsic and extrinsic motivations represent two distinct mechanisms that stimulate impulsive purchasing under the influence of others. Given the diversity in types and strengths of social capital and their varying impacts on peer motivation, this study endeavors to broaden the understanding of impulsive buying in social commerce. It examines how peer intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influence purchasing behavior and explores how these motivations interact with three dimensions of social capital. Within a specific type of social capital context, the objective of this study is to uncover which type of peer motivation predominantly drives impulsive purchasing. To empirically test the research model, an online survey was conducted targeting social commerce users in China. The findings offer empirical support for retailers in implementing appropriate social media initiatives and managing consumer relationships in social commerce. By integrating peer motivation and group-level social capital into the social commerce framework, this research offers novel insights into retailers’ social media strategies and contributes to existing literature. Full article

Skeleton-based action recognition networks have widely adopted the approach of Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN) due to their superior capabilities in modeling data topology, but several key issues still require further investigation. Firstly, the graph convolutional network extracts action features by applying temporal convolution to each key point, which causes the model to ignore the temporal connections between different important points. Secondly, the local receptive field of graph convolutional networks limits their ability to capture correlations between non-adjacent joints. Motivated by the State Space Model (SSM), we propose an Action Spatio-temporal Aggregation Network, named ActionMamba. Specifically, we introduce a novel embedding module called the Action Characteristic Encoder (ACE), which enhances the coupling of temporal and spatial information in skeletal features by combining intrinsic spatio-temporal encoding with extrinsic space encoding. Additionally, we design an Action Perception Model (APM) based on Mamba and GCN. By effectively combining the excellent feature processing capabilities of GCN with the outstanding global information modeling capabilities of Mamba, APM is able to comprehend the hidden features between different joints and selectively filter information from various joints. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that ActionMamba achieves highly competitive performance on three challenging benchmark datasets: NTU-RGB+D 60, NTU-RGB+D 120, and UAV–Human. Full article

This study presents a systematic review of the literature on teaching techniques that enhance student motivation and academic performance across basic, secondary, and higher education levels. The review is grounded in the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, highlighting their decisive roles in engagement and achievement. The analysis focuses on active learning methodologies such as project-based learning, collaborative learning, gamification, and flipped classrooms. It identifies the mechanisms by which each approach fosters students’ interest, sense of competence, and persistence. Four international databases were consulted, and studies published between 2000 and 2024 reporting quantitative measures of motivation and/or performance were selected. Five investigations met all eligibility criteria and were assessed for methodological quality. The results indicate moderate motivational effects, especially when interventions last at least eight weeks, provide frequent feedback, and place students at the center of authentic problem-solving. Greater gains were also observed in STEM disciplines and in contexts that encourage peer collaboration. Based on these findings, practical recommendations are proposed for educators: structure interdisciplinary projects, incorporate playful elements in the initial stages of formal education, combine autonomous work with small-group discussions, and use data analysis tools to deliver personalized feedback. The study concludes that adopting diverse, student-centered pedagogical practices enhances motivation and academic achievement, leading to deeper and more lasting learning outcomes. Full article

Understanding visitors’ motivations is essential for enhancing the perceived well-being of urban residents and promoting overall human welfare. Grounded in an integrated framework combining Self-Determination Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study investigates how different types of motivation, i.e., amotivation, extrinsic motivation, and intrinsic motivation, influence visitors’ subjective well-being through the mediating role of behavioral intention. The theoretical model was tested using primary data collected via structured questionnaires from three urban forest parks in Fuzhou, China. Exploratory factor analysis identified latent constructs, and confirmatory factor analysis validated the measurement model. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. The results reveal that intrinsic motivation significantly enhances behavioral intention, whereas extrinsic motivation and amotivation have a negative association. Behavioral intention has a strong and positive influence on subjective well-being. Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations indirectly affect well-being through the complete mediation of behavioral intention. In contrast, amotivation follows a dual pathway: it negatively influences well-being through partial mediation and also exerts a direct positive association. These findings underscore the central mediating role of behavioral intention in connecting motivation and well-being outcomes in urban forest park visitation. The study highlights the importance for policymakers and managers of considering how different forms of motivation affect the attainment of subjective well-being, and of incorporating these factors into future decisions concerning urban forest park so as to facilitate comparable findings and support further generalizations. Full article

Objectives: This cross-sectional, descriptive correlational research investigated the relationship between stress, academic motivation, and subjective vitality among nursing students. Methods: Participants were recruited through a non-probability purposive sampling approach. An anonymous online survey was conducted with 188 first- to fourth-year study nursing students, assessing their perceived academic stress using the Perceptions of Academic Stress Scale, academic motivation using the Student Academic Motivation Scale (SAMS-21), and subjective vitality using the Subjective Vitality Scale. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlational analysis, and multivariate analysis were employed in this study. Results: The results indicate that students experience moderate stress levels during exam sessions, with higher stress associated with workload and examinations. Academic motivation was characterized by high extrinsic motivation, which identified regulation and intrinsic motivation to know. A significant difference in a form of extrinsic motivation—introjected regulation—was found between student groups, with a tendency for this motivation to decrease over the years of study. No statistically significant relationship was found between students’ academic stress and subjective vitality. Conclusions: Academic stress related to workload and exams is determined by both demographic factors, such as age and year of study, and psychological factors, including academic self-perception and amotivation, which highlight the multifaceted nature of the stress experienced by nursing students. Students’ subjective vitality is related to intrinsic motivation—to know and achieve—and to all extrinsic motivation. External forms of regulation, especially introjected regulation, are significantly related to students’ subjective vitality. Full article