Investigating the effects of a utility value manipulation on attention: combining self-report and neuronal measures

Utility value interventions are one approach to promote students’ interest experience and performance. It is unexplored how utility value interventions affect attention besides enjoyment and perceived value as important aspect of interest experience. The present research investigated the effects of a directly-communicated utility value intervention on students’ enjoyment, perceived value, performance and self-reported and neuronal attention (EEG alpha-band activity). In a first study, 139 psychology students watched a video-taped mathematics lecture online. The lecture emphasized the utility value of logarithms to psychology students by drawing on examples from psychology (n_EG = 70). Examples from natural sciences were used in the control group (n_CG = 69). In a second experiment with 52 psychology students (n_EG = 23, n_CG = 29) the same intervention was tested in a laboratory setting while the students’ electroencephalogram was recorded. The utility value intervention increased students’ perceived value in both settings. No main effect for any other outcome was found.