Motivation and University Life Outcomes

The study investigates the relationship between intrinsic motivation and stress levels among university students. The results show that intrinsically motivated students have lower perceived stress levels, but it does not indicate better psychological tuning or higher well-being. Amotivation is linked to higher stress levels and weaker psychological adjustment. The study also finds that extrinsic incentives can lower autonomy and intrinsic motivation, and that students with higher entrance qualifications perform better academically. However, the findings are limited by the use of self-reported measures, sample size, and gender imbalance.

The present study is supportive of our hypothesis. It reveals that intrinsically motivated
studying leads to lower scores for perceived stress though it is not indicative of better
psychological tuning to university life or, higher orders of noticeable well being. Our study
has been as per our predictions showing that amotivation leads to higher stress levels,
weaker psychological adjustment to university life. This is in sync with previous studies that
have established link between amotivation and lower perception of competence, lower
attentiveness (Vallerand et al., 1989) and low self-esteem (Peterson & Seligman, 1984).
The results obtained in our study are supportive of preceding investigations in educational
backgrounds (Vallerand &Bissonnette, 1992; Vallerand et al., 1992, 1997), that self initiated
motivation yields positive consequences. The learners in our study are more amotivated in
contrast to earlier studies on Canadian learners (Vallerand et al., 1992). According to the
cognitive evaluation theory, the intensity of autonomy influences motivation (Deci & Ryan,
1985, 1991; Ryan & Deci, 2000a & b). Students who receive the support of their guardians
and instructors to autonomously choose their career, develop higher levels of intrinsic
motivation thereby lowering drop outs in high school (Vallerand et al., 1997).
Socio contextual events such as usage of extrinsic incentives like marks (Grolnick& Ryan,
1987) as is relevant in British university system, lowers the sense of autonomy and hence,
lowers intrinsic motivation. Hence, the general university climate where our study was
conducted increased amotivational behaviours and resulted in poor outcomes.
The hypothesis that sex and entrance qualifications are responsible for a significant level of
variation in the scholastic scores, has been proved by our study that shows that students
with higher entrance qualifications, attained superior marks in the university course. This is

supportive of earlier studies that scores in secondary school and on college entrance
examinations are the finest indicators of the level of scholastic achievement in university
(e.g., Allen, 1999). It also needs to be noted that females in our study were more
extrinsically motivated than their male counterparts.
The limitations of our study include usage of self-reported measures, inability to determine
the function of motivational orientations on the effects, sample size has gender imbalance
and sample included only psychology students. Hence, the findings in the present study
cannot be generalised outside this learner populace.