The Effects of Imagination between Psychological Factors and Academic Performance: The Differences between Science and Engineering Majors

摘要

The current study examined the effects that psychological factors have on academic performance through imagination. The study also compared the different ways these factors affect science and engineering majors. A survey was administered at six universities across different regions of Taiwan. The participants in this study were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 387 science majors, whereas the second group consisted of 386 engineering majors. A structural equation modeling was used to test all the hypotheses proposed. The results showed that the structural models of both majors were similar to each other, but the effects of each variable in the structures were different. Through the mediator effect of imagination, self-efficacy had the greatest influence on the academic performance of both groups. Generative cognition was identified as the second major predictors of student performance, but its effects on academic performance were slightly negative. The effects of both intrinsic motion and negative emotion on the science group were smaller than on the engineering group. The influence of inspiration through action on the science group was greater than on the engineering group. Finally, practical applications of the current study were suggested. Both limitations and future research were discussed.