I will study, but you must reward me first! Factor structure of students’ study reward addiction among Polish early adolescents

Objectives The negative effects of rewards on intrinsic motivation are well-studied, but behavioral and mental dependency on rewards in students is less explored. The Reward Addiction Scale in the Academic Context (RASAC) is the only self-report tool for study reward addiction, originally developed for middle school Turkish students. This study aimed to validate the RASAC for Polish early adolescents and assess its consistency across gender and school stress levels. Material and methods 548 adolescents (aged 12-15) completed self-report measures on study reward addiction, school burnout, and social resources. Results Principal components analysis indicated two possible models: a 2-factor structure with 8 items and a 3-factor structure with 9 items. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed acceptable fit for both models. The reward addiction construct includes high reward expectations (HRE) and two reinforcement effects: learning motivation reinforcement (RER) and positive school approach reinforcement (CRE). The instrument demonstrated acceptable reliability, with internal consistency exceeding 0.80 for the total score, HRE, and RER, and over 0.60 for CRE. Conclusions The 2-factor structures were consistent across gender and school stress levels, though the 3-factor model requires further exploration. The RASAC-PL is a valid and reliable tool for assessing study reward addiction in Polish early adolescents, offering a valuable resource for understanding reward dependency in educational settings.

Abstract licence: CC BY-SA

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