Study Strategy Predictors of Performance in Introductory Psychology

In this study, the relationship between student study strategies and performance in Introductory Psychology was examined. Eighty-eight students in three sections of Introductory Psychology at a Midwestern university in the United States completed a demographic questionnaire and the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory-2nd edition (LASSI-2) during class time within the first two weeks of the semester. The relationships between LASSI-2 subscales and a variety of achievement variables (high school GPA, college GPA, ACT score) as well as final grade in the course were explored. A discriminant analysis indicated that the Motivation subscale was the most important discriminator between students who were successful in Introductory Psychology (as measured by a grade of A and B) versus those who were unsuccessful (as measured by a grade of D or F). These results highlight the importance of considering motivational factors in introductory courses. (Contains 4 tables.)