Research Interests

  1. Brain activity related to error processing and its association with individual differences in motivation, temperament, and neurocognitive functioning
  2. Situational dynamics in motivation and task engagement
  3. Developmental relationships between motivation and subjective well-being

Recent publications

  1. Tapola, A. & Niemivirta, M. (2008). The role of achievement goal orientations in students' perceptions of and preferences for classroom environment. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 78, 291–312. [download pdf | for personal use only]
  2. Tuominen-Soini, H., Salmela-Aro, K. & Niemivirta, M. (2008). Achievement goal orientations and well-being: A person-centred analysis. Learning and Instruction, 18, 251-266. [download pdf | for personal use only]
  3. Niemivirta, M. & Tapola, A. (2007). Self-efficacy, interest, and task performance: Within-task changes, mutual relationships, and predictive effects. Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie, 21, 241-250. [download pdf (in English) | for personal use only]
  4. Niemivirta, M. (2006). Assessing motivation and self-regulation in learning within a predictive design: Incorporating systematic elements of change. Educational Psychology Review, 18(3), 255-259
  5. Aunio, P., Niemivirta, M., Hautamäki, J., Van Luit, J., Shi, J., & Zhang, M. (2006). Young children's number sense in China and Finland. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 50, 483-502.

Other downloadable papers

  1. Boekaerts, M. and Niemivirta, M. (2000). Self-regulation in learning: Finding a balance between learning- and ego-protective goals. In M. Boekaerts, P. R Pintrich, and M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation (pp. 417-450). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. [for personal use only]
  2. Niemivirta, M. (2006). Growth mixture analysis of the development of ability judgments and interest. Paper presented at the 10th International Conference on Motivation, Landua, Germany.
  3. Niemivirta, M. (2004). Stability and change in middle school students' school value: An application of latent growth curve modeling. In A. Efklides, G. Kiosseoglou, and Y. Theodorakis (Eds.), Scientific Annals of the Psychological Society of Northern Greece: Vol. 2. Qualitative and quantitative research in psychology (pp. 301-315) Athens: Ellinika Grammata. [for personal use only]
  4. Niemivirta, M. (2002). Individual differences and developmental trends in motivation: Integrating person-centered and variable-centered methods. In P. R. Pintrich and M. L. Maehr (Eds.). Advances in Motivation and Achievement (Vol. 12, pp. 241-275). Amsterdam: JAI Press. [for personal use only]
  5. Niemivirta, M., Rijavec, M., and Yamauchi, H. (2001). Goal orientations and action-control beliefs: A cross-cultural comparison among Croatian, Finnish, and Japanese students. In A. Efklides, J. Kuhl, and R. Sorrentino (Eds.), Trends and Prospects in Motivation Research (pp. 163-183). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. [for personal use only]
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