Regulation

The goal of the study described in this paper was to examine the role of possible selves in perceptions of competence and in self-regulation. The study investigated whether possible selves, or individuals ' perception of what they might be like in the future, exert their influence on self-efficacy and self relation via the dimensions associated with possible selves. It was expected that the salience of "hoped-for " and "feared " possible selves should be more closely aligned to expectancies, whereas the importance assigned to hoped-for and feared possible selves should be more closely related to behavior. Path analyses performed on data collected from 287 seventh-grade students generally supported this premise, although the pattern of effects differed slightly across the four academic domains examined (mathematics, English, science, and social studies). The results suggest that possible selves can add to the understanding of student motivation and self-regulation. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/ND) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document