2. Chapter 11
Motivation and Affect

3. The Nature of Motivation

4. Motivation Directs behavior toward particular goals
Leads to increased effort and energy
Increases initiation of, and persistence in, activities
Enhances cognitive processing
Determines what consequences are reinforcing and punishing

5. General Principles
All children and adolescents are motivated in one way or another.
Motivation to do well in school is grounded in a variety of cognitive and sociocultural factors that evolve over time.
Classroom conditions play a major role in students’ motivation to learn and achieve
situated motivation

6. Motivation Extrinsic motivators Intrinsic motivators
factors external to the individual
factors unrelated to the task
good grades, money, recognition
Intrinsic motivators
factors within the individual
factors inherent in the task
pleasure, developing a valued skill, ethically and morally the right thing to do

7. Basic Human Needs

8. Basic Human Needs Arousal Competence and Self-Worth Self-Determination
basic need for stimulation
Competence and Self-Worth
ability to deal effectively with environment
Self-Determination
sense of autonomy
Relatedness
need to feel socially connected, to secure others’ love and respect

9. Hierarchy of Needs: Maslow
Self-actualization
Esteem
Love and belonging
Safety
Physiological
deficiency needs
growth need

10. Cognitive Factors in Motivation

11. Interest Form of intrinsic motivation Situational interest
evoked by something in immediate environment
Personal interest
personal preferences
relatively stable over time

12. Expectancies & Values Expectancy = expectation for success
Influenced by
prior history of success/failure
perceived difficulty of task
availability of resources and support
quality of instruction
necessary effort

13. Expectancies & Values Value = perceived benefit of task Influenced by
importance
utility
interest
cost

14. Goals Achievement goals Work-avoidance/Doing-just-enough goals
mastery
performance
performance-approach
performance-avoidance
Work-avoidance/Doing-just-enough goals
Social goals
Long-term life goals
Career goals

15. Attributions for Success/Failure
Locus
internal versus external
successes = internal causes (smart)
failures = external causes (teacher doesn’t like)
Stability
stable versus unstable
Controllability
controllable versus uncontrollable
consistent failure = stable, uncontrollable, internal factor: low ability

16. Attributions Influence…
Learners’ emotional reactions to success and failure
Expectations for future success and failure
Effort and persistence
Learning strategies and classroom performance

17. Developmental Trends
With age, children distinguish between effort and ability
incremental vs. entity view of intelligence
mastery orientation vs. learned helplessness

18. Teacher Expectations Remember that teachers make a difference.
Look for strengths in every student.
Consider multiple explanations for low achievement, classroom misbehavior.
Communicate optimism about what students can accomplish.
Objectively assess students’ progress.

19. Teacher Expectations
Attribute successes to high ability and controllable factors.
Attribute successes to effort only if effort is considerable.
Attribute failures to controllable, easily remedied factors.
When students fail despite obvious effort, attribute failures to lack of effective strategies; help them acquire such strategies.

20. Affect and Its Effects

21. Affect Emotions, general moods that a learner brings to bear on a task
Psychological elements
subjective feelings
Physiological elements
changes in heart rate, perspiration, muscular tension

22. Affect & Motivation
People act in ways they think will help them feel happy and comfortable.
Self-conscious emotions affect self-worth.
Intrinsic motivation is related to pleasure.
Boredom results from lack of stimulation and arousal.

23. Affect & Cognition Hot cognition
learners associate specific topics with certain emotions
can be evoked by information that conflicts with what learners currently know or believe
cognitive dissonance, disequilibrium

24. Anxiety in the Classroom
Feelings of uneasiness and apprehension concerning a situation with an uncertain outcome
state anxiety (temporary)
trait anxiety (chronic)
Facilitating vs. debilitating anxiety
improves vs. hinders performance

25. Sources of Anxiety Physically threatening situations
Situations that threaten self-worth
Physical appearance
A new situation
Judgment or evaluation by others
Frustrating subject matter
Excessive classroom demands
Classroom tests
The future

26. Diversity in Motivation & Affect
Cultural and ethnic differences
all children have basic needs in common; how they satisfy those needs may vary
need for affiliation may vary, as may the amount of encouragement for academic achievement
stereotype threat may be present

27. Diversity in Motivation & Affect
Gender differences
girls are more concerned with doing well
girls are more likely to have high need for affiliation
girls express emotions more openly, except anger
girls are more anxious about classroom performance

28. Diversity in Motivation & Affect
SES
lower-income students have more stress
may have less effective strategies, self-regulation skills
Students with special needs
greatest diversity in motivation
may have difficulty meeting needs for relatedness

29. The Big Picture

30. The Big Picture Motivation energizes, directs, and sustains behavior.
Several basic needs seem to drive much of human behavior.
Many forms of motivation have both cognitive and sociocultural elements.
The emotions and general moods that learners bring to bear on a task—collectively known as affect—are closely intertwined with motivation.