#313: From Feeling to Regulating: The Role of Meta-Affective Goals in Activating Self-Regulated Learning

Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) is a critical determinant of academic success, yet the mechanisms that activate this process, particularly affective ones, remain undertheorized. Contemporary “trigger regulation” frameworks identify external events as precursors to regulation but often overlook the pivotal role of the learner’s internal, meta-affective interpretation of the resulting emotions. This paper introduces the construct of meta-affective goals (MAGs) — internally held goals concerning how to experience and interpret one’s own affect during learning — as a potent, top-down activation cue for SRL. By synthesizing theories of SRL, affect and meta-affect in learning, and affective goals, this paper proposes a framework wherein the adoption of MAGs (e.g., framing confusion as a productive signal) directly initiates the forethought, performance, and self-reflection phases of regulation. This conceptualization has profound implications for measurement, the design of emotionally responsive learning environments, and the extension of SRL theory to socially shared regulation in collaborative contexts.