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Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire

MSLQ
educationpsychologyFree for research use

An 81-item self-report instrument measuring college students' motivational orientations (six subscales) and use of learning strategies (nine subscales); modular by design.

Items
81
Response format
7-point Likert (1 = not at all true of me to 7 = very true of me)
Version
1.0
Subscales
15

Ready-to-cite methods sentence

Motivation and learning strategies were measured with the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ; Pintrich et al., 1993), a modular 81-item instrument whose 15 subscales showed a wide range of internal consistency (α ≈ .52–.93).

Reliability & validation

Validation population
College students (Pintrich et al., 1993)
Cronbach's α
0.52–0.93

Subscales

Intrinsic goal orientationExtrinsic goal orientationTask valueControl of learning beliefsSelf-efficacy for learningTest anxietyRehearsalElaborationOrganizationCritical thinkingMetacognitive self-regulationTime and study environmentEffort regulationPeer learningHelp seeking

Known limitations

Designed to be used modularly (subscales alone), and subscale reliabilities vary widely; the effort-regulation and help-seeking scales are often the least reliable.

Original citation

Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D. A. F., García, T., McKeachie, W. J. (1993). Reliability and predictive validity of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Educational and Psychological Measurement, 53(3), 801-813.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164493053003024

Questions researchers ask

What does the MSLQ measure?

An 81-item self-report instrument measuring college students' motivational orientations (six subscales) and use of learning strategies (nine subscales); modular by design.

How many items does the MSLQ have?

The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) has 81 items across 15 subscales: Intrinsic goal orientation, Extrinsic goal orientation, Task value, Control of learning beliefs, Self-efficacy for learning, Test anxiety, Rehearsal, Elaboration, Organization, Critical thinking, Metacognitive self-regulation, Time and study environment, Effort regulation, Peer learning, Help seeking.

Is the MSLQ free to use?

The MSLQ is free to use for non-commercial academic research. You don't need to pay a license fee, but you should always cite the original publication.

Is the MSLQ reliable?

Validation studies report Cronbach's α of 0.52–0.93. See the reliability section for the population studied and full statistics.

Who developed the MSLQ, and how do I cite it?

Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D. A. F., García, T., McKeachie, W. J. (1993). Reliability and predictive validity of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Educational and Psychological Measurement, 53(3), 801-813. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164493053003024

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Library entry verified July 2026. Metadata is provided for reference; item wording is available inside Folio Surveyor, subject to each instrument's licensing.