“Study hard al school, it’s important for your future”: motivational effects of perceived utility

Abstract

An overview of conceptual development and of recent empirical research in the domain of perceived utility
(instrumentality) and future time perspective is provided. It is demonstrated that having a deep future time
perspective and increasing the utility of one’s present behavior are associated with enhanced motivation, deeper
learning, better performance and mote intense persistence. Moreover, it is important to consider the degree of
specificity and the content of future goal and the interpersonal context in which the utility of the present activity
is made clear. Practical implications are given.