Jan 22 Flashcards
need
a fundamental, innate requirement or condition that is ESSENTIAL for growth, wellbeing and effective functioning
needs ENERGIZE and DIRECT behaviour
drive theories recap
internal state of tension pushes individuals to take action to satisfy their needs & restore homeostasis
drive theories view humans as…
passive
4 key ideas of self-determination theory
- humans are inherently active and constantly engaged with their environment
- all humans possess 3 psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness)
- psychological need satisfaction provides essential nutrients for engagement, psychological growth and psychological wellbeing
- environments may either support or thwart psychological needs
what does psychological need satisfaction promote?
intrinsic motivation
intrinsic motivation
motivation to engage in an activity out of one’s INTEREST and ENJOYMENT
performing the activity is its own reward
extrinsic motivation
motivation to engage in an activity due to some EXTERNAL OUTCOME
not about enjoying the activity in its own right, but about what you get out of it
things that intrinsic motivation is linked to…
- greater INITIATIVE and task PERSISTENCE
- CREATIVITY
- DEEPER PROCESSING of info and BETTER RETENTION of info in memory
- positive BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
- more POSITIVE EMOTION, vitality & wellbeing
our ______ ________ may _____ or _____ need satisfaction, with downstream _______ on ________ _________
social environments
support or thwart
effects
intrinsic motivation
autonomy
the psychological need to experience SELF-DIRECTION and PERSONAL ENDORSEMENT in the initiation and regulation of one’s behaviour
autonomy need satisfaction
characterized by a sense of VOLITION and SELF-ENDORSEMENT
genuine, un-pressured willingness to engage in an activity without feeling coerced or pressured
sense of ownership and personal causation over one’s behaviour
autonomy need satisfaction involves a sense of “I’m doing this because…”
“I’m doing this because I WANT TO”
rather than
“I don’t really want to be doing this. I’m only doing this because I have to, not because I want to”
importance of choice: elderly nursing home patients RESULTS
residents in the choice group (vs control)…
- reported feeling HAPPIER and MORE ACTIVE
- spent more time ENGAGING WITH OTHER RESIDENTS and staff
- exhibited IMPROVEMENTS IN MENTAL and PHYSICAL wellbeing
- less likely to PASS AWAY within 18 months
importance of choice: elderly nursing home patients TAKEAWAY
freedom of choice is essential to our wellbeing
is choice always beneficial?
no, not all “choices” promote a sense of autonomy and some may even leave individuals feeling controlled
ie. overt or even subtle pressure to pick a particular opinion negates the benefits of choice
for choice to have psychological & performance benefits, it must…
be MEANINGFUL and ALIGNED with an individual’s INTERESTS and VALUES
ie. picking from a number of uninteresting options won’t yield benefits
ie. if one of the choices is quite bad, it doesn’t feel like much of a choice
ie. if you’re pressured, it doesn’t feel like much of a choice
tyranny of choice
too many choices may be OVERWHELMING
decision fatigue, uncertainty, anxiety, regret
retirement plans: example of tyranny of choice
employee participation in 401 000 retirement plans DECREASES when MORE FUND OPTIONS are offered
Barry Schwartz quote on particularities of benefits of self-determination
“[it is] self-determination within SIGNIFICANT CONSTRAINTS - within ‘rules’ of some sort - that leads to wellbeing, to optimal functioning”
choice may also feel overwhelming when…
when we lack the REQUISITE SKILL or KNOWLEDGE to make the choice
recap: things we can do to support the other person’s interest and intrinsic motivation
- simply ENCOURAGE them to pursue their intrinsic goals and support the intrinsic motivation they already have
- make the activity MORE INTERESTING by generating an experience of PSYCH NEED SATISFACTION
^ can OFFER CHOICE to support need for autonomy
^ can also incorporate elements to meet needs for competence and relatedness
- note that all of this requires PERSPECTIVE-TAKING
^ what are the person’s interests? what kind of choices would they benefit from?
finding meaning in uninteresting activities relies on what process?
internalization
internalization
the process through which a person TRANSFORMS a formerly externally prescribed way of thinking or behaving into an INTERNALLY-ENDORSED ONE
strategies for internalization
- provide explanatory rationales
- acknowledge and accept negative feelings
- rely on invitational language
strategy for internalization: explanatory rationales
explaining the “WHY” behind the task
why is this uninteresting task important? why is your engagement with it worthwhile?
ie. we don’t run in the hallways because it’s loud and it may disrupt other classes
example script of an explanatory rational
“doing this activity has been shown to be USEFUL”
“the benefit is <>”
“this benefit is incurred because…”
“revising your paper multiple times is a useful thing to do. by revising, you give yourself an opportunity to become a better writer. revising helps your writing skill develop because you have the time to evaluate your writing decisions and strategies - topic sentences, active voice, vivid imagery, conclusion sentences etc”
the motivational question therefore shifts from…
- do you want to revise your paper? (no, it’s boring)
TO
- do you want to improve your writing? (yes, it’s important)
strategy for internalization: acknowledging negative feelings
an autonomy supportive style involves ACKNOWLEDGING and VALIDATING negative feelings
and taking on a COLLABORATIVE approach to addressing their underlying cause
support for RELATEDNESS needs promotes internalization
harsh or dismissive response to someone’s negative feelings…
is likely to CREATE FRICTION and RESISTANCE
perpetuate NEGATIVE AFFECT
IMPEDES INTERNALIZATION
strategies for internalization: invitational language
SUGGESTS rather than demands
“you must do this” versus “you might find it helpful to try this”
flexible, non-controlling, leaves ROOM for CHOICE while encouraging action
examples of invitational language
“if you’re willing, we’ll get started”
“you may want to look through these materials to get some ideas”
“you might find it helpful to try this”
benefits of giving autonomy support
- psychological need satisfaction
- intrinsic motivation
- efficacy
- evaluations at work
- job satisfaction
- agency and initiative
- passion for one’s profession
- relationship satisfaction
- wellbeing
- less burnout (emotional exhaustion)
- improved health
longitudinal intervention studies show that adopting an autonomy supporting style leads to…
benefits for the SUPPORT PROVIDER
following teaching interventions, on the behalf of the provider we see…
- need satisfaction
- autonomous motivation to teach
- adoption of intrinsic goals
- passion for teaching
- job satisfaction & vitality
- declines in emotional and physical exhaustion
what does interpersonal control look like?
- telling others what to think, feel and do
- inducing guilt or pressure
- countering or trying to change negative feelings
- using pressuring language, pushing for compliance
- CONTROLLING BEHAVIOUR THROUGH INCENTIVES LIKE REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS
problems with the controlling approach
major issues with relying on pressure and control:
- THWARTS the individual’s psychological NEEDS (their autonomy, competence, relatedness)
- creates LONG-TERM MOTIVATIONAL problems
- promotes negative emotions like GUILT and ANXIETY
- HARMS relationships
do punishments work?
do they suppress undesirable behaviour?
punishment (or the threat of punishment) may lead to COMPLIANCE IN THE SHORT TERM
but has a number of SIDE EFFECTS
compliance
conforming to an expectation, request or rule without necessarily adopting the underlying value or motivation behind the behaviour
ie. doing something to avoid a negative consequence, not because you actually believe in the action
although punishments may suppress undesirable behaviour in the short term, they have a number of side effects
- undermines need for autonomy & impedes internalization
- negative emotionality
- impairs relationship between punisher and punishee
- negative modelling of how to cope with undesirable behaviour in others
corporal punishment has been linked to…
serious issues
1. antisocial and criminal behaviour
- aggression
- poor mental health
according to Deci, there are 2 types of controlled behaviour
compliance
defiance
defiance
doing the OPPOSITE of what you’re EXPECTED to do
just because you’re expected not to do it
defiance IS NOT AUTONOMOUS BEHAVIOUR (you’re still being controlled by external forces)
can both compliance and defiance co-exist within an individual?
yes
even if one is dominant
when there’s compliance, there’s often also defiance
what about reward? reading scenario
imagine you’re a parent, and you’re thrilled that your child loves reading. every night, they’re curled up on the couch with a book. you can’t believe your luck - no nagging, no screen-time battles - they genuinely enjoy reading
then you get an idea: what if you could encourage them to read even more? you decide to offer them a reward - $10 for every book they finish. at first, it works like a charm. they’re flying through books, motivated by the promise of extra cash
but over time, you notice something strange. the enthusiasm that once drove them to pick up a book for fun seems to wane. they start choosing shorter, easier books just to earn the reward faster. eventually, the moment you stop paying them, the reading stops altogether
what went wrong?
Harry Harlow grape study recall - made Deci wonder…
recall: getting a grape (rewaard) for solving the puzzle DECREASED monkey’s intrinsic interest in playing the puzzle
Deci wondered whether a similar principle applied to humans and could explain children’s waning interest in learning over their school years
Deci’s first study setup
experiment held over 3 consecutive days
Ps assigned to experimental or control group
SESSION ONE: replicate the Soma configurations (both groups)
SESSION TWO:
a) EXPERIMENTAL GROUP: paid $1 ($8.50 today) for each configuration they replicated
b) CONTROL GROUP: no pay
SESSION THREE: both groups no pay
Deci’s first study key outcome measure
what do participants do when left alone halfway through the session?
specifically, amount of time spent playing with puzzle during free choice period
Deci’s first study results
- no difference between the groups during session 1
- second session: experimental group spent more time playing with the puzzle (makes sense, they were getting paid)
- third session: experimental group spent less time playing with puzzle than control group, and less than they did on the first day
Deci’s first study takeaway
human beings have an “inherent tendency to seek out NOVELTY and CHALLENGES, to extend and exercise their capacities, to explore, and to learn”
“when money is used as an external reward for some activity, the SUBJECTS LOSE INTRINSIC INTEREST for the activity”
rewards may BOOST EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION, but they DECREASE INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
over-justification effect
external rewards reduce intrinsic motivation
intrinsic motivation in the brain study setup
Ps assigned to REWARD or NO-REWARD condition
perform moderately interesting task in 2 sessions
(control: no payment in either session)
(experimental: payment only in session one)
intrinsic motivation in the brain study results
- control condition (no payment)
^ show activation in VENTRAL STRIATUM over BOTH sessions
- reward condition (payment in session one, no payment in session two)
^ VS activation in session one, but DISAPPEARS in session 2
^ less likely to engage in task during free choice period (manifests on behavioural level as well)
^ negative relationship between amount of voluntary pay and decrease in VS activation
helping behaviour
we have a tendency to help others
emerges early in life - 20 month old infants already have a strong tendency to help
what happens if we’re rewarded for helping behaviour? toddlers helping experimenter who dropped something
provision of extrinsic rewards (ie. a toy) diminishes intrinsic motivation to help
why do rewards have these effects?
when we’re given external rewards (or pressured or threatened) we lose our perception of AUTONOMY
undergo a SHIFT in our understanding of our motivation from an internal locus of causality to an EXTERNAL LOCUS OF CAUSALITY
in other words, we no longer feel like the authors of our own behaviour
