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Tests in educational contexts often start with easy tasks, assuming that this fosters positive experiences—a sense of control, higher valuing of the test, and more positive and less negative emotions. Although intuitive and widespread, this assumption lacks an empirical basis and a theoretical framework. We conducted a field experiment and randomly assigned 208 students to an easy-to-difficult or a difficult-to-easy condition in a mathematics test. Perceived challenge was measured along with control appraisals, value appraisals, and emotions (enjoyment, pride, anxiety, anger, boredom). While students starting with easy tasks felt less challenged than students starting with difficult tasks in Part 1, no differences emerged regarding control and value appraisals and emotions. In Part 2, students who had started with easy tasks proceeded to difficult tasks and reported a higher level of challenge, less value and control, and less positive and more negative emotions than students who proceeded from difficult-to-easy tasks. Control and value appraisals mediated the differences between the two conditions, especially regarding positive emotions. These results cast doubt on the preference for easy-to-difficult over difficult-to-easy task orders, revealing their potential for causing adverse experiences at the end of the test (e.g., reflecting contrast effects). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on students' perceived challenge, its direct links to career aspirations along with indirect links to career aspirations via boredom. We extended previous findings by differentiating state and trait assessments of challenge and boredom and by investigating within- and between-person relations. We hypothesized overchallenge to go along with reduced career aspirations. Furthermore, boredom should occur due to both over- and underchallenge and should reduce those aspirations. We expected stronger effects of trait challenge and boredom on career aspirations as compared to the respective state reports. The hypotheses were tested in a sample of N = 753 high-school students (M age = 15.72) from 43 classes by a questionnaire and an experience-sampling approach. Multilevel analyses showed overchallenge being linked to reduced career aspirations; this direct effect was equally strong for trait and state reports. Furthermore, the indirect effect of trait non-optimal challenge (over- or underchallenge) indicated a decrease in career aspirations via trait boredom. • Students' over- and underchallenge in mathematics are positively related to boredom. • The relation between challenge and boredom is significant within- and between-person. • Students' habitual trait boredom is negatively related to their career aspirations. • Trait and state overchallenge are negatively related to career aspirations. • The effect of trait over- and underchallenge on career aspiration is mediated by trait boredom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]