26/02/2026 – Arief D. LIEM

Abstract

Much of the classic work on achievement motivation—spanning self-efficacy, achievement goals, attributional processes, expectancy–value beliefs, and self-determination theory—emerged from an independent-self worldview. In this view, motivation originates within the individual, and agency is enacted through personal choice, internal control, and self-initiated action. Yet, across many cultural contexts, students understand themselves not primarily as separate individuals but as persons fundamentally embedded in relationships. An interdependent-self perspective offers a complementary framework, one that conceptualizes motivation as relational, socially grounded, and culturally patterned. Rather than focusing solely on internal beliefs and personal agency, this lens highlights how students’ actions are shaped by obligations, role expectations, relational harmony, and collective purpose. This presentation advances a cultural model of student motivation that integrates both independent and interdependent pathways. Using the self-construal framework, I demonstrate how parents, teachers, and peers function differently depending on the prevailing cultural orientation. In an independent-self context, significant others are typically viewed as : (a) Socialization agents who shape beliefs, values, and mindsets ; and (b) Support providers who nurture autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In contrast, from an interdependent-self standpoint, close others become part of the self—and motivation flows through three culturally shaped pathways : (a) Concomitant pathway : Independent and interdependent motives co-exist, reinforcing one another as students pursue both personal and relational goals ; (b) Antecedent pathway : Interdependent motives function as distal drivers that give rise to more personal, independent forms of motivation, which in turn predict achievement ; and (c) Self-and-other integration pathway : Motivation is inherently relational ; students act with and for significant others, pursuing goals experienced as “ours” rather than “mine.” Rather than portraying cultures in binary terms or stereotyping learners, this framework emphasizes cultural nuance, situational variability, and the multiple forms of agency students enact. By integrating independent and interdependent perspectives, the talk proposes a more culturally inclusive theory of student motivation—one that better reflects the lived realities of students across diverse societies. Implications for theory development, classroom practice, and global educational research will be discussed.

Arief, D., LIEM

https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/entities/person/Gregory-Arief-D-Liem