Cognitive Motivation: Competence & Control - Module 12: PART 2 -

Competence Robert White: concept of competence  capacity to interact effectively with one's environment (aka: effectance motivation) Feeling of efficacy at achieving goal Adaptive as controlling environment allows one better position to survive and reproduce In non-human animals, learning how to make “tools” can provide more access to food (termites)

Personal Causation DeCharms, like White, proposed that people need to feel that they can effect their environment Personal causation  underlying principle of all motivated behaviors People as either ”origins” (behavior controlled by own choices) or ”pawns” (behavior controlled by external forces)

Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory of Human Agency Human agency: essence of humanness  capacity to exercise control on the nature and quality of one’s life Reciprocal causation: Humans affected by interaction between behavior, environment, and personal factors (cognitive, affective and biological events) P Core features Intentionality Forethought Self-reactiveness Self-reflectiveness B E 3 models of agency: personal (4 core features; based on individual), proxy (using expertise of others), and collective (efficacy of one’s group)

Self-Determination Theory Deci and Ryan  humans strive to satisfy 3 basic psychological needs (all 3 required for healthy function): Competence: control over environment Relatedness: feel like we belong with others Autonomy: free to integrate experiences/actions with sense of self Satisfying above goals helps to develop intrinsic motivation (value/pleasure of behavior for its own sake) vs. extrinsic motivation (value of goal to be achieved by behavior)

The Rise of Positive Psychology Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2000)  much of psychology focused on treating individuals with mental illness, advocated for change to focus on: Positive emotions Positive traits and virtues (universally valued aspects of character): 6 core virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence Positive institutions