Grit and Cognitive Load in Students with Different Achievement Goal Orientation Profiles

The aim of this study was to identify goal orientation profiles among students from different academic fields and examine differences among these profiles in terms of students’ grit and perceived cognitive load during an authentic knowledge assessment situation. A total of 309 students completed a goal orientation questionnaire and a brief grit scale (assessing perseverance of effort and consistency of interest) one week prior to a midterm exam. Immediately after the exam, they reported on intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load experienced during the exam. Latent profile analysis identified three groups of students with different goal orientation profiles: success-oriented students (27.8%), indifferent students (53.9%), and work-avoidance students (18.3%). In the final step of the latent profile analysis, the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars (BCH) approach was applied to identify differences in grit and cognitive load between the goal orientation profiles. Results indicated that success-oriented students reported higher grit, as well as greater germane cognitive load, reflecting higher mental effort investment in general, but also in the specific knowledge assessment situation. Indifferent and work-avoidant students showed no significant differences. No significant differences were found among goal orientation profiles in perceptions of intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load, i.e., the perceived complexity and clarity of exam tasks. The findings are discussed in the context of linking motivational concepts with cognitive load theory.