Toward academic satisfaction and performance: the role of students' achievement emotions

The present study used control-value theory to investigate the varied effects of students' achievement emotions on their academic outcomes, both at the attitudinal (academic satisfaction) and behavioral (academic performance) levels. The study found that the simultaneous effects of positive, negative, activating, and deactivating achievement emotions differ from their unique effects on academic outcomes. The study analyzed survey data from 2747 participants (N1 = 2335 Pakistani undergrad students and N2 = 412 international students studying in Pakistan). Overall, the data indicate factors that lead to the (dis)similar impacts of achievement emotions on academic performance and provide support for the proposed mediational effects. Notably, different emotions may have comparable or differing outcomes. The elements of positive expectation and involvement create equal or unique effects of positive emotions (hope and optimism) on academic achievement. Cognitive resources and the degree of awareness may provide equal or different academic outcomes for negative emotions (anger and boredom). For combinations of activating emotions (hope and anger) and deactivating emotions (optimism and boredom), level of dominance may influence academic accomplishments.