Toward the definition of a domain of academic motivation.

In the domain of academic motivation, distinctions such as statics vs dynamics, rational vs empirical, and linear or "one shot" vs cyclic or "bootstrapping" help clarify the focus of previous studies and suggest guidelines for future studies. The present study's development of a 75-item self-report Academic Motivations Inventory is presented as illustrating bootstrapping in researching the structure of academic motivation. The 1st and 2nd cycles of the study are described briefly. In the current cycle (Cycle 3) of the development of this instrument, 626 university students were administered the inventory. Factor analyses of the inventory produced a set of 9 interpretable dimensions which summarize a considerable portion of the domain and which can be measured with adequate reliability. This collection of factors is discussed in relation to prior studies of the structure of the domain; further research toward the development of the domain is specified. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)