How to keep the current flowing? Factors contributing to the longevity of directed motivational currents

Abstract

Directed motivational currents (DMCs) depict long-term, heightened engagement in pursuit of a highly desired future identity. While the core theoretical underpinnings of the construct are well-established and it is possible to observe a growing research interest in inducing real-time currents, especially in foreign language (FL) contexts, little is known regarding the specific factors contributing to the untypical longevity of DMCs, as the currents are believed to cover timescales of months or even years. The present study is therefore an attempt to fill the void in the DMC-related research. Following the initial phase of the investigation, which sought to identify prospective DMC cases amongst 247 students of a foreign language at private language schools, thematic analysis was applied to scrutinise the exact nature of DMC experiences identified. The investigation showed that the flow of motivational energy within the DMC superstructure might be occasionally obstructed by both mental and physical exhaustion and, thus, re-triggering mechanisms are required to maintain the intensity of motivational surges. Two primary factors contributing to the longevity of DMCs were identified, namely the growth of learners’ agency and the re-emergence of one’s superordinate goal.

Las corrientes motivacionales dirigidas describen un compromiso intensificado a largo plazo en busca de una identidad futura altamente deseada. Si bien los fundamentos teóricos del constructo están bien establecidos y es posible observar un creciente interés de la investigación en la inducción de corrientes en tiempo real, especialmente en el contexto de las lenguas extranjeras (FL), se sabe poco respecto a los factores específicos que contribuyen a la atípica longevidad de las DMC, ya que se cree que las corrientes abarcan escalas de tiempo de meses o incluso años. Este estudio de método mixto es, por tanto, un intento de llenar el vacío existente en la investigación sobre las DMC. Una vez realizada la fase inicial de la investigación, que buscaba identificar casos prospectivos de DMC entre 247 estudiantes como lengua extranjera en escuelas de idiomas privadas, se aplicó el análisis temático para examinar la naturaleza exacta de las experiencias de DMC identificadas. Se identificaron dos factores primarios que contribuyen a la longevidad de las DMC, a saber, el crecimiento de la autonomía de los estudiantes y la reaparición del objetivo propio de las DMC.