Intervention Effects on College Performance and Retention as Mediated by Motivational, Emotional, and Social Control Factors: Integrated Meta-Analytic Path Analyses

    Authors

    S. B. Robbins; I. S. Oh; H. Le;C. Button

    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Appl. Psychol.

    Keywords

    interventions; psychosocial factors; college outcomes; academic; performance; academic retention; CUE-CONTROLLED RELAXATION; LEARNING-STYLE INTERVENTION; TEST-ANXIOUS; STUDENTS; TEST-ANXIETY; SELF-CONTROL; ACADEMIC-PERFORMANCE; META-ANALYSIS; SYSTEMATIC-DESENSITIZATION; TRAINING-PROGRAM; JOB-PERFORMANCE; Psychology, Applied; Management

    Abstract

    Using both organizational and educational perspectives, the authors proposed and tested theoretical models on the mediating roles that psychosocial factors (PSFs; motivational, emotional, and social control factors) play between college interventions (academic skill, self-management, socialization, and First-Year-Experience interventions) and college outcomes (academic performance and retention). They first determined through meta-analysis of 404 data points the effects of college interventions on college outcomes and on PSFs. These meta-analytic findings were then combined with results from S. B. Robbins et al.'s (2004) meta-analysis to test the proposed models. Integrated meta-analytic path analyses showed the direct and indirect effects (via PSFs) of intervention strategies on both performance and retention outcomes. The authors highlight the importance of both academic skill and self-management-based interventions; they also note the salience of motivational and emotional control mediators across both performance and retention outcomes. Implications from organizational and educational perspectives, limitations, and future directions are addressed.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Applied Psychology

    Volume

    94

    Issue/Number

    5

    Publication Date

    1-1-2009

    Document Type

    Review

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1163

    Last Page

    1184

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000269374700004

    ISSN

    0021-9010

    Share

    COinS