A motivational concept that describes the process that learners use to weigh the personal value of assigned tasks against their confidence that the effort they invest will result in the tasks’ successful completion. In practice, these two types of expectations interact to shape motivation. For example, when both are high, learners are highly motivated, and when one is high and one is low, learners experience conflicted motivation. Instructors can support students by understanding which of these factors might be compromising motivation.