The social cognitive theory of Depression proposed by Rothbaum et al. (2008) integrates theory originating from the motivation, cognitive and rumination literature. Following stressors, those with vulnerable self-beliefs are predicted to adopt performance goals that aim to avoid threats to self-worth, necessitating protective mechanisms like rumination. Both the goals themselves and rumination serve to protect self-worth but are proposed to have depressogenic consequences. This theory, combined with literature on contingent self-worth and trait rumination in depression, led to an elaborated social cognitive model whereby rumination mediates the relationship between goal orientation and depression. The current study aimed to test this model. Seventy two healthy participants participated in an experimental manipulation of goal orientation prior to a difficult anagram task and rated their sadness, anxiety, and state rumination following a stressor and during a subsequent sustained attention task. The results suggested many of the hypotheses about condition differences were not supported and this may have been due to an unsuccessful task goal manipulation. However extrinsic contingent self-worth based on other’s approval was found to moderate the effect of goal orientation on task based depressive affect and rumination. For those reporting high contingent self-worth based on other’s approval, cuing a performance goal was related to significantly higher sadness and rumination following a stressor than cuing mastery goal. Findings suggest that therapy specifically focusing on assessing extrinsic contingent self-worth and associated vulnerable self-beliefs, and encouraging the adoption of mastery goals may be therapeutically beneficial in making people less reactive to stressful life events.

The aim of this study was twofold: first, to investigate the effect of grade level on students&rsquo / motivational beliefs (self-efficacy, intrinsic value, mastery goals and performance goals) in science, and second to examine the relationships between students&rsquo / motivational beliefs and their science grades. The Turkish version of the Approaches to Learning Instrument (mastery goals and performance goals) and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (self-efficacy and intrinsic value) were used as data collection instruments. The Turkish version of the Approaches to Learning Instrument (ALI) was adopted into Turkish and pilot tested with 390 elementary school students. The main study was applied to 900 elementary school students in Grades 6 through 8 from 5 randomly selected schools in Bolu. The data obtained from the measuring instruments were analyzed by using Multivariate Analyses of Variance (MANOVA) and correlation analyses. Results of the analyses revealed that grade level has a significant effect on students&rsquo / motivational beliefs and as grade level increases student motivation in science declines. Accordingly, 6th grade students are found to be more self-efficacious in science and they show more intrinsic interest in science and study science course for the reasons of learning and mastering as well as showing their abilities to others compared to 7th grade and 8th grade students. Concerning the motivational level of 7 and 8 graders, results also showed that 7 graders&rsquo / motivational beliefs are more favorable than 8 graders. Moreover, results revealed significant positive relationships between all motivational belief variables and science grade in all grade levels except for the performance goal orientation. Additionally, significant positive relationships were found among all motivational belief variables.

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Motivations, Attitudes and Modern Languages. A study of students’ motivational processes and attitudes while learning foreign languages. This doctoral thesis investigates students’ motivational processes and attitudes while studying and learning foreign languages (FLs). Students were asked about their choice of FL, and what had motivated them during their many years of studies. The study analyzes open-ended questionnaires and interviews with 43 students enrolled in the last year of foreign language studies in two schools, limiting its focus to the three most commonly studied FLs – French, German and Spanish. The theoretical framework of the thesis draws on sociocognitive theory (Bandura 1997; Linnenbrink & Pintrich 2002). Several informants refer to motivation in terms that could be related to intrinsic motivation. They have chosen to continue studying their particular target language due to an emotional state which could be related to enjoyment, pleasure and curiosity (Deci & Ryan 1985). Another salient feature is the frequent reference to mastery goals. Many of the informants express a motivation directed towards mastery and growth, or a main goal to be fluent or communicatively competent in their target language. Several informants also underline the motivational importance of experiencing competence, success and development. They become motivated by experiencing self-efficacy (Bandura 1997). This self-efficacy is rooted in experience of success, but also in being encouraged by significant others or role models, i.e. family members and friends. Despite a frequent awareness of the weakening general interest for FL, most students have a supportive network. Likewise, family and friends play a crucial role for many informants while choosing their target language initially. This key factor interacts with other important factors, such as the experiences of visiting countries or settings where the target language is used. In this context, target language attitudes tend to be important when choosing language and pursuing studies.