Abstract

Persuasive strategies play a crucial role in designing systems that influence behaviour. Understanding how students respond to the strategies is essential for developing tailored motivational interventions that will enhance student motivation, engagement, and academic success. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), our research explored how persuasive strategies - Self-monitoring, Commitment & Consistency, Social Comparison, and Competition - impact student learning. We conducted a study with 185 university students to investigate their receptiveness to the strategies, explore gender differences and interactions with SDT constructs. Results of statistical analysis, structural equation modelling, and cluster analysis revealed that: (1) the four strategies can be employed in the design of persuasive education systems/interventions - self-monitoring and commitment & consistency were effective for all participants, while social comparison and competition were only effective when aligned with individual preferences. (2) There were no significant gender differences in motivation, engagement, and strategies receptiveness. (3) Self-monitoring, commitment & consistency, and competition were positively linked to intrinsic motivation. (4) Clustering results identified two distinct motivational profiles, each with unique patterns of receptiveness to the strategies. Based on our findings, we propose guidelines for designing more motivational education systems. These insights can help to develop and personalise persuasive educational systems and interventions.