A Motivational Interviewing Intervention for the Classroom

Abstract

Despite attempts to engage students, undergraduate instructors are often challenged by low motivation among students to study outside of the classroom. The current study adapted motivational interviewing, which is often used with therapy clients ambivalent to change, to target college student motivation to study for exams. Findings indicated improved performance on exams following the brief 15- to 20-min intervention. The present study supports both the effectiveness and feasibility of this brief, classroom-based motivational intervention. This psychological intervention might be particularly fitting for psychology classes because an explanation of the intervention itself can serve as an additional learning opportunity.