Chapter 12: Motivation and Chapter 13: Learning Environments

Which one of the following settings most likely represents intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation?

• 1. Fernando is showing his friends his baseball trophy.

• 2. Jerome is studying with a goal of making the highest score in science.

• 3. Dorinda is complimenting everyone she sees in order to get their vote for class president.

• 4. Martina is reading a chapter book by her favorite author.

Answer explanation

[Feedback for Answer Choice 1]

Fernando seems to be motivated by the reward of impressing his friends and may have been motivated by the reward of winning the trophy. Actions associated with receiving a reward are extrinsically motivated.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 2]

Jerome is motivated by the reward of making the highest score in science. Working to receive a reward is extrinsic motivation.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 3]

Dorinda’s actions are motivated by her desire to win a school election for class president. Her actions are extrinsically motivated.

[Feedback for Correct Answer 4]

Martina is most likely intrinsically motivated. She seems to be pursuing her personal interests and is not motivated by an external reward. Reading a book by her favorite author is probably satisfying to her. The activity itself is the reward.

Which one of the following students best exhibits extrinsic motivation?

• 1. David participates in the science fair because he loves science.

• 2. Antonio tells the truth because he knows he’ll be punished if he lies.

• 3. Bianca finishes her homework because it helps her learn.

• 4. Sonya does community service to help others.

Answer explanation

[Feedback for Answer Choice 1]

David’s motivation is associated with his personal interests—an intrinsic motive.

[Feedback for Correct Answer 2]

Antonio’s motivation is associated with avoiding punishment—an extrinsic motive.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 3]

Bianca is motivated by personal values—intrinsic motivation.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 4]

Sonya is motivated by personal values. Her reason for doing community service is internal.

Which theories of learning are most directly associated with extrinsic motivation?

• 1. Cognitive theories

• 2. Social cognitive theories

• 3. Behaviorist theories

• 4. Sociocultural theories

Answer explanation

[Feedback for Answer Choice 1]

Cognitive views stress a person’s active search for meaning, understanding, and competence.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 2]

In social cognitive theory, self-efficacy and agency are central factors in motivation. These are more internal.

[Feedback for Correct Answer 3]

Behaviorists tend to emphasize extrinsic motivation caused by incentives, rewards, and punishment.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 4]

Sociocultural views emphasize engaged participation and maintaining your identity within a community. These views are not directly externally motivated.

Liam has no interest in soccer and has no intention of learning new strategies, improving his skills, or helping his team win. What is his motivation?

• 1. Extrinsic

• 2. Amotivation

• 3. Intrinsic

• 4. Somewhat intrinsic and somewhat extrinsic

Answer explanation

[Feedback for Answer Choice 1]

If Liam were extrinsically motivated, he likely would be more interested in winning.

[Feedback for Correct Answer 2]

Sometimes students have no intention to act at all. Researchers have referred to this as amotivation—no engagement at all.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 3]

If Liam were intrinsically motivated, he likely would want to improve his skills or learn new skills.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 4]

Liam doesn’t seem to be motivated by internal factors or external factors.

Ms. Whitten’s students were not interested in the unit about the Civil War until she offered extra credit for participating in a dramatic reenactment of specific battles. Now they are showing interest and actually trying to learn as they earn extra credit. What is the students’ motivation for participating?

• 1. Intrinsic motivation

• 2. Amotivation

• 3. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation

• 4. Extrinsic

Answer explanation

[Feedback for Answer Choice 1]

Students were not interested in the topic until Ms. Whitten offered extra credit for participating. This is not a simple case of intrinsic motivation.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 2]

Students appear to be motivated as they show interest and learn.

[Feedback for Correct Answer 3]

Students appear to participate out of interest in the extra credit (extrinsic motivation), and eventually, the actual learning (intrinsic motivation).

[Feedback for Answer Choice 4]

Students appear to participate out of interest in the extra credit (extrinsic motivation), but this is not their only motivation.

Fourteen-year-old Jessica doesn’t feel loved and doesn’t feel safe while her parents are going through a divorce. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, love and safety are considered which of the following?

• 1. Trust needs

• 2. Deficiency needs

• 3. Being needs

• 4. Esteem needs

Answer explanation

[Feedback for Answer Choice 1]

Maslow didn’t have a category of needs that he described as “trust” needs.

[Feedback for Correct Answer 2]

Deficiency needs include survival, safety, belonging, and self-esteem. Maslow believed they are critical to physical and psychological well-being.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 3]

Being needs include the need to know and understand things, to appreciate beauty, and to become self-actualized. Jessica’s needs are more basic.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 4]

In Maslow’s hierarchy, self-esteem, love/belonging, and safety are separate levels, but all three are considered deficiency needs.

Kristi, a middle school student, wants to get a computer. She spends all of her spare time reading about technology and tinkering with computers in the school lab. Her parents have told her to wait until she’s in high school to get a job and earn money for her own computer. But Kristi has found ways to save money without a job. She skips lunch and goes hungry to save her lunch money. She packs snacks from home into her backpack and sells them to friends at school. How does Kristi’s situation fit into Maslow’s hierarchy?

• 1. Kristi’s situation proves Maslow’s idea that students must have their self-esteem needs met.

• 2. Kristi’s situation fits Maslow’s idea that students need to have their deficiency needs met.

• 3. Kristi’s situation does not fit Maslow’s theory.

• 4. Kristi’s situation proves that being needs are more important than deficiency needs.

Answer explanation

[Feedback for Answer Choice 1]

Kristi’s situation proves that a person may be motivated to pursue being needs even when deficiency needs are not met. Kristi’s situation doesn’t seem to relate to self-esteem.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 2]

Kristi’s situation proves that a person may be motivated to pursue being needs even when deficiency needs are not met. In Kristi’s situation, she is working against meeting her deficiency needs.

[Feedback for Correct Answer 3]

Kristi is denying herself the basic need for food in order to pursue a desire that is higher on the hierarchy. Kristi’s situation defies Maslow’s hierarchy.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 4]

Kristi’s situation proves that it is possible for a person to be motivated to pursue being needs even when deficiency needs are not met. Though Kristi is prioritizing being needs, deficiency needs must be met.

Luana plans to visit Ecuador some day because that is where her cousins live. When she gets to junior high school, she finally has a chance to take Spanish, a language she will need when she travels to South America. But she decides to enroll in French instead so that she can be with her best friend. Based on this information, we can guess that Luana has a high need for which of the following?

• 1. A sense of belonging

• 2. Autonomy

• 3. Competence

• 4. Self-worth

Answer explanation

[Feedback for Correct Answer 1]

Luana places a high priority on being with her friend, suggesting a strong need to feel socially connected—a sense of belonging.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 2]

Luana has autonomy. She chooses the class she wants to take.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 3]

Need for competence is the individual’s need to demonstrate ability or mastery over the tasks at hand. Although Luana most likely wants to master French (or Spanish), a need for competence is not her primary motivation here.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 4]

We see no evidence that Luana’s self-worth is low. Her decision to take French is related to a different need.

Mr. Rawlins is the faculty advisor a high school service club. He attends every meeting, and he regularly provides the support students need to carry out their activities. During group discussions, however, he typically sits in the back of the room and offers advice only if club members ask for it or if he thinks the club’s planned activities are in some way inappropriate. Mr. Rawlins’s approach most likely does which of the following?

• 1. Promote debilitating anxiety about club leadership

• 2. Decrease club members’ sense of competence

• 3. Enhance club members’ sense of self-determination

• 4. Reduce club members’ interest in public service

Answer explanation

[Feedback for Answer Choice 1]

Mr. Rawlins allows the students to exercise leadership. This should not promote anxiety.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 2]

Mr. Rawlins allows the students to exercise leadership and demonstrate their competence.

[Feedback for Correct Answer 3]

Mr. Rawlins’s approach puts students in the decision-making role and shows that he has confidence in their ability to plan and carry out activities. This approach gives the students a sense of self-determination. The adult advisor is not controlling their actions and decisions.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 4]

Increasing students’ control actually increases their intrinsic motivation. The students are more likely to have increased interest in their service activities rather than reduced interest.

In the classroom, teachers must decide what level of controlling behavior and controlling communication they use. What most likely happens to students’ intrinsic motivation when teachers use controlling behaviors and controlling language?

• 1. Intrinsic motivation most likely increases.

• 2. Intrinsic motivation is most likely unaffected.

• 3. Intrinsic motivation increases for some and decreases for others.

• 4. Intrinsic motivation most likely decreases.

Answer explanation

[Feedback for Answer Choice 1]

Students need autonomy and some sense of control. If the teacher increases control over students, their intrinsic motivation is not likely to increase.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 2]

Students need autonomy and some sense of control. If the teacher increases control over students, their motivation will be affected.

[Feedback for Answer Choice 3]

Students need autonomy and some sense of control. If the teacher increases control over students, their intrinsic motivation is not likely to increase.

[Feedback for Correct Answer 4]

Students need autonomy and some sense of control. If the teacher increases control over students, their intrinsic motivation will most likely decrease.