Table 1 Attainment value definition, subcategories, and examples of participants’ statements
Category | Definition | Subcategories | Sample participant statements |
|---|---|---|---|
Attainment value | Participants indicated that engaging in research is important for them and fits their identity | Alignment with the sense of self | Participant 11: We are working on women’s infertility with mice. And since I am trying to be a medical doctor, I think it is the perfect fit for me. I am learning a lot even though I do not know half of the stuff they are talking about right now because it is super advanced. But just seeing how everything works and trying to understand, reading the research articles so I could get a better understanding of what is happening so that in the next couple of years I am going to understand too. |
The personal importance of engaging in research | Participant 19: Not many freshmen receive the opportunity to join a lab, and I would forever be thankful because it has taught me things I thought I would never learn in my life. I now know the value of working in a highly credited neurological research lab and to be mentored by a highly knowledgeable scientist. | ||
Recognition of self as a scientist | Participant 10: Being a scientist is important for me. I think I have become more confident in myself as a STEM student, and myself in all my classes. It is just added to my confidence as a premed student, and as a scientist, and I just feel more comfortable tackling a problem than I would have before. |