Lecture 13: why we read less

Question 1

What is Deci’s fundamental Question?

Answer 1

Why do people stop pursing activities that formerly seemed to be highly rewarding?

Question 2

What is Intrinsic motivation?

Answer 2

doing an activity for it’s own sake

Question 3

What is extrinsic motivation?

Answer 3

doing an activity for instrumental purposes

Question 4

Why is the BOOK IT Pizzahut reading program a bad thing?

Answer 4

Orienting kids to be extrinsically motivated about reading and extrinsic and intrinsic motivation work against each other (not additive)

Question 5

how is intrinsic motivation measured in the free choice paradigm?

Answer 5

by how much time is spent doing the activity during a free choice period

Question 6

What were the effects of rewarding children for drawing?

Answer 6

1. Less time drawing during free choice period

2. Producing more pictures of poorer quality

Question 7

What was the 3rd condition in Lepper’s study?

Answer 7

Unexpected reward: did not undermine intrinsic motivation

Question 8

How do rewards affect intrinsic motivation across age groups?

Answer 8

Undermines it for all ages but the effect is more powerful the younger you are

Question 9

What are the explanations for why rewards undermine intrinsic motivation

Answer 9

1. Cognitive attributional: Child looks at their behavior and wonders why they are doing the activity and if they are being rewarded they assume it’s because of the reward (Deci and Koestner disagree with this)
2. Cognitive Evaluation Theory (Deci)

Question 10

What is Cognitive Evaluation theory?

Answer 10

We pursue Autonomy and Competence

1. Intrinsic motivation varies with perceived autonomy (vs feeling controlled)
2. Intrinsic motivation varies with perceived competence
3. External events can have 1 of 3 meanings:
   - informational
   - controlling
   - amotivating