Motivational Pathways to Academic Achievement and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Academic and Social Self-Concept

Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the present study examined whether academic and social self-concept differentially account for the associations between motivational quality and academic achievement and mental health among Korean upper-elementary students. Using data from the Korean Educational Longitudinal Study (KELS), structural equation modeling was conducted to test a partial mediation model. Autonomous motivation was positively associated with both academic and social self-concept, whereas controlled motivation was negatively associated with both. Academic self-concept was positively associated with academic achievement and mental health, while social self-concept was associated primarily with mental health. Findings suggest that academic and social self-concept may help explain how motivational quality is related to multidimensional adaptation.