Files
Abstract
The situated expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation posits that student motivation can be viewed as a function of expectancies for success and subjective task value. Despite the potential motivational and behavioral consequences of perceptions of others, research has not yet investigated perceptions of the subjective task value of one’s peers. In the present study, I examined perceptions of a peer’s subjective task value as a function of perceived effort, beliefs about where a person draws effort from, and one’s self-knowledge. Results from a pre-registered experiment provide evidence that beliefs about the source of effort and how much effort a person is putting into a task interact to predict perceptions of a peer’s subjective task value in the domains of math and English. This research contributes to a broader understanding of the various mental tools people use when making inferences about the motivational states of others.