Motivations and Goals L4

Question 1

Learning opportunities

Answer 1

Understand what motivates everyday behaviour.

Describe and evaluate Self-determination theory.

To understand when rewards are useful and when they may not be.

To describe social values and understand their utility.

To deconstruct, and support, the process of undertaking goal directed behaviour.

Question 2

What is Motivation?

Answer 2

Questions regarding the origins, drives and predictors of motivation and behaviour are addressed by many areas of psychology.

e.g. Biological psychology; individual differences; social psychology.

Motivation is the ‘driving force’ behind volitional behaviour & determines the Strength; Direction and Persistence of behaviour.

Question 3

What are biological needs?

Answer 3

Serve the evolutionary purpose of ‘survival’ and are a powerful influence on motivation.

Question 4

What are Psychological needs?

Answer 4

‘Self-actualization’ or ‘autonomy’.

Explains motivated behaviour such as exploratory behaviour (e.g., seeking tasks).

Needs -> wants -> tension.

Question 5

Maslows Hierarchy of needs?

Answer 5

Being needs and deficiency needs

Question 6

What are motivations according to dunning (2001)

Answer 6

• desire for knowledge
• desire for coherence
• affirmation of competence

Question 7

What are some examples of Desire for knowledge - Dunning 2001?

Answer 7

Power of curiosity:

We want more information.

E.g. will give up small payment to see whole photographs (Loewenstein et al., 1992).

E.g. questioning people’s control, results in more competence in social cognitive tasks as they strive to regain control (Pittman and Pittman, 1980).

Curiosity mediated by knowledge & accountability.

Enables prediction and control.

Question 8

What are some examples of Affirmation of competence - Dunning 2001?

Answer 8

Affirmation of Competence:

We like to thing of ourselves positively.

E.g. self serving attribution bias.

E.g. We all think we are above average – illusory superiority.

Most overestimate their IQ.

Drivers: better than average.

Jailed criminals: kinder, more trustworthy and honest than most.
Attribution biases likely driven by more than self esteem motives.

Self-affirmation often not supported by empirical evidence.

Question 9

What are some examples of Desire for Coherence - Dunning 2001?

Answer 9

Desire for coherence (relates to cognitive dissonance [Festinger, 1959]).

We want to reduce contradictions, keep information consistent.

We value things we work hard for (effort justification).

We might devalue alternatives after making a choice.

BUT

Only some things appear to produce dissonance; we can live with some inconsistencies.

Question 10

What are the various theories of why we are Motivated to ‘achieve our potential’?

Answer 10

Reduce biological needs.

Pursue self-actualisation.

Quest for knowledge.

Question 11

How is Self determination theory achieved?

Answer 11

Achieved by building autonomous motivation.

Autonomous motivation achieved by fostering the innate needs of:

Autonomy,

Competence,

Relatedness.

Meet these needs for maximum intrinsic motivation.

Essential for:

Psychological growth; integrity; well-being.

Question 12

What is the core element of self determination theory?

Answer 12

Distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Question 13

What are the types of motivation in self determination theory?

Answer 13

Intrinsic motivation: Aims for mastery, brings enjoyment / satisfaction.

Extrinsic motivation: Aims for reward, brings external pressures / demands.

Amotivation: No inclination to do anything either way.

Question 14

What is the self determination continuim?

Answer 14

Ryan and Deci 2000a, 2000b - likelyhood to maintain behaviour

Research more and look at diagram

Question 15

What is cognitive evaluation theory?

Answer 15

One of 6 sub-theories of SDT.

Focus on interaction between intrinsic motivation and other factors.

Especially interested in competence and autonomy.

Effects of external events will depend on functional significance for perceived autonomy & perceived competence:

Rewards could be the sole driver of behaviour or as indicators of competence.

Relatedness features in interpersonal context:

Extent to which context is controlling or not controlling.

Question 16

How does enhancing intrinsic motivations enhance student outcomes?

Answer 16

College students asked to solve problems across 3 sessions.

1st: Unpaid

2nd: Paid-per-answer. Second half of study, experimenter called away.

3rd: “Oops, no money left!” Then experimenter called away again.

Question 17

What were the resitls of enhancing intrinsic motivations to enhance student outcomes?

Answer 17

Paid students spent more time solving puzzles

But when reward removed, spent less time

Intrinsic motivation may be undermined if they are induced to engage as a means to an extrinsic goal.

Rewarding people for an interesting activity => attribute their behaviour to the extrinsic reward rather than to intrinsic interest.

=> Undermining effect.

Question 18

What is cue value?

Answer 18

Cue value – makes competence information salient.

E.g. You got that prize because you’re so good at that! Most people didn’t manage that!

Question 19

What are verbal rewards?

Answer 19

Verbal rewards - informational aspect salient thus increases IM:

But can be perceived as controlling – leads to undermining IM

E.g. You must keep up the good work! (beware undermining autonomy!)

=> Importance of interpersonal context.