ON THE ASSESSMENT OF INTRINSIC, EXTRINSIC, AND AMOTIVATION IN EDUCATION - EVIDENCE ON THE CONCURRENT AND CONSTRUCT-VALIDITY OF THE ACADEMIC MOTIVATION SCALE

A new measure of motivation toward education has been developed in French, namely the ''Echelle de Motivation en Education'' (EME). The EME is based on the tenets of self-determination theory and is composed of seven subscales assessing three types of intrinsic motivation (intrinsic motivation to know, to accomplish things, and to experience stimulation), three types of extrinsic motivation (external, introjected, and identified regulation), and amotivation. Extensive data support the reliability and validity of the EME. The EME has been translated recently in English. Initial data provided support for the reliability (internal consistency and temporal stability) and factorial validity of the English version of the scale now termed the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). However, the concurrent and construct validity of the AMS has not been assessed. Such was the purpose of the current study. The subjects were 217 junior-college students who completed the AMS, other motivation-related constructs, as well as variables assessing motivational determinants and consequences. The concurrent validity of the AMS was assessed by correlating its subscales with known motivational scales, while the construct validity was ascertained through a series of correlational analyses among the seven AMS subscales, as well as between these scales and other psychological constructs deemed to represent motivational antecedents and consequences. Findings provided support for the concurrent and construct validity of the AMS. Future directions concerning the use of the AMS in theoretical and applied research are proposed.