Short-Term Dynamics: Transitions in First-Year Undergraduates’ Motivational Profiles Across a Semester

Based on situated expectancy-value theory and a person-centered approach, we examined the stability and changes in motivational, defined by self-efficacy, task values, and perceived costs, among first-year undergraduates enrolled in an introductory psychology course during their first semester. Using latent profile and latent transition analyses with 232 Chinese undergraduates, we identified three consistent motivational profiles across three time points: Burdened (25–32%), Average-all (51–52%), and Positively motivated (17–24%). Approximately 54% of students remained in the same profile across the semester. While shifts toward less favorable profiles were more common in the first half of the semester, transitions to more favorable profiles increased in the latter half. Gender did not significantly predict the likelihood of transition. These findings offer important implications for timing and tailoring motivational interventions to support undergraduates’ academic learning.