Emotional Creativity and Self-Directed Learning: The Mediating Role of Achievement Motivation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of achievement motivation in the relationship between emotional creativity and self-directed learning. The present study was a correlation study using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the present study included all eleventh grade male students in Khoy city numbering 5300 people. From the population a sample of 370 people were selected using the Slovin formula by stage cluster sampling and completed Emotional Creativity Inventory (ECI), Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (AMQ) and Self-Rating Scale of Self-Directed Learning (SDL). Data were analyzed by SPSS24 and AMOS22. The results of this study showed that emotional creativity was able to explain 29% of the variance of achievement motivation, and the variables of emotional creativity and achievement motivation can simultaneously explain 43% of the self-directed learning variance. Also, the achievement motivation has a significant mediator role in the relationship between emotional creativity and self-directed learning (p<0.01). Hence, expressing positive emotions in the form of an achievement motivation, it makes people see new links between ideas, organizes information and creates new solutions to the problem. Therefore, the creativity of this kind of emotion improves the person's readiness to engage in various activities and self-directed learning.