Why children differ in motivation to learn: insights from 13,000 twins from 6 countries

Kovas, Y., Garon-Carrier, G., Boivin, M., Petrill, S., A., Plomin, R., Malykh, S., B., Spiath, F., Murayama, K., Ando, J., Bogdanova, O., Brendgen, M., Dionne, G., Forget-Dubois, N., Galajinsky, E. V., Gottschling, J., Guay, F., Lemelin, J.-P., Logan, J., A., Yamagata, S., Shikishima, C., Spinath, B., Thompson, L., A., Tikhomirova, T., N., Tosto, M., G., Tremblay, R. and Vitaro, F. (2015) Why children differ in motivation to learn: insights from 13,000 twins from 6 countries. Personality and Individual Differences, 80. pp. 51-63. ISSN 0191-8869 doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.02.006

Abstract/Summary

Little is known about why people differ in their levels of academic motivation. This study explored the etiology of individual differences in enjoyment and self-perceived ability for several school subjects in nearly 13,000 twins aged 9 to 16 from 6 countries. The results showed a striking consistency across ages, school subjects, and cultures. Contrary to common belief, enjoyment of learning and children’s perceptions of their competence were no less heritable than cognitive ability. Genetic factors explained approximately 40% of the variance and all of the observed twins’ similarity in academic motivation. Shared environmental factors, such as home or classroom, did not contribute to the twin’s similarity in academic motivation. Environmental influences stemmed entirely from individual specific experiences.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/39330
Identification Number/DOI	10.1016/j.paid.2015.02.006
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Development Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Neuroscience Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Social
Publisher	Elsevier
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