An Interview With Allan Wigfield: A Giant on Research on Expectancy-Value, Motivation, and Reading Achievement

JOAA: Did you have any teacher, professor, or colleague who influenced your learning experience and development in any particular way? Wigfield: I was inspired by several professors and mentors. I took my first undergraduate child development class from Joseph McV. Hunt at the University of Illinois, and he later helped mentor my undergraduate honors thesis. His excitement about research and the prospects of conducting psychological research to contribute to the solution of educational problems was very inspirational. In graduate school, Steve Asher guided me in my early research efforts in the areas of reading and communication, and helped me learn how to write for publication. Ken Hill piqued my interest in student motivation and in intervening in schools to help reduce the deleterious effects of children’s anxiety on their achievement. Jacque Eccles was my postdoctoral mentor; the brilliance of her intellect, her excitement about research and new ideas, and her intellectual and social support of many graduate students, postdocs, and young scholars was very inspiring. I also appreciate how our relationship grew from mentor–mentee to colleagues.