How perceived control and task value relate to achievement emotions in academic study settings

Control–value theory (CVT) is a robust framework for understanding the antecedents of achievement emotions. However, few studies examined the interaction between control and value appraisals across a broad range of emotions. The aim of this study was to explore the interactive role of control and value in predicting 10 achievement emotions—three positive activating emotions (enjoyment, pride, and hope), two positive deactivating emotions (relief and relaxation), three negative activating emotions (anxiety, anger, and shame), and two negative deactivating emotions (hopelessness and boredom)—felt in relation to the academic setting of studying. We recruited 166 and 126 Italian university students attending two consecutive psychological modules (General Psychology and Developmental and Educational Psychology) within the same degree programme. Data were collected via self-report questionnaires, with partial overlap between samples, as a substantial proportion of students participated in both modules. Through regression analyses, control and value showed the expected pattern of associations, being positively related to positive emotions and negatively related to negative emotions. Evidence for interaction effects was limited across emotions and modules: significant interactions emerged for anger and shame in the first module and for enjoyment and relaxation in the second, although these effects were generally small in magnitude. Overall, the findings provide partial support for CVT assumptions, suggesting that value may moderate the relation between control and achievement emotions in specific contexts, but not in a consistent or uniform way across emotional outcomes.