Extrinsic Motivation

Page 1: Extrinsic Motivation

  • Definition: Motivation driven by external rewards.

    • Key question: What's in it for me?

  • Concepts:

    • Incentives vs. Consequences:

      • Incentives: Energy and initiation to act.

      • Consequences: Persistence in behavior over time.

Page 2: Extrinsic Motivation Continuation

  • Influence of Incentives and Consequences:

    • Shape desirable and undesirable behaviors.

      • Examples of incentives:

        • Trophies, scholarships, candy, stickers, money.

        • Social status: popularity and liking.

      • Examples of consequences:

        • Negative feelings: disdain, shame, threats, criticism, F grades.

        • Physiological responses: hunger, pain, fear, pleasure, happiness, anxiety.

Page 3: Operant Conditioning

  • Fundamental Concept: Law of Effect - behaviors are influenced by their outcomes.

  • Learning Process: Conditioning is context-dependent.

    • Increase a Behavior:

      • By adding something (Reinforcement) or removing something (Negative reinforcement).

    • Decrease a Behavior:

      • By adding something (Positive punishment) or removing something (Negative punishment).

Reinforcement vs. Punishment

  • Positive Reinforcement: Adding a desirable stimulus to increase behavior.

  • Negative Reinforcement: Removing an aversive stimulus to increase behavior.

  • Positive Punishment: Adding an aversive stimulus to decrease behavior.

  • Negative Punishment: Removing a desirable stimulus to decrease behavior.

Page 4: Operant Conditioning – Success Rates

  • Balance of Reinforcement and Punishment:

    • Increasing Behavior:

      • Methods include positive and negative reinforcement.

    • Decreasing Behavior:

      • Methods include positive and negative punishment.

Page 5: Operant Conditioning Details

  • Reinforcer Quality: The effectiveness of the reinforcer can depend on individual preferences and context.

  • Reinforcer Immediacy: The timing of the reinforcer relative to the behavior can impact effectiveness.

Page 6: Keys to Reinforcement

  • Rewards vs. Reinforcers:

    • All positive reinforcers can be considered rewards, but not all rewards function as reinforcers.

  • Dopamine: Neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reinforcement, playing a critical role in motivating behaviors.

Problem with reward

  • candy motivation example

  • you can undermine intrinsic motivation by relying too hard on rewards.

  • This occurs when external rewards diminish a person's internal desire to engage in an activity, leading to a decrease in overall motivation.

  • not compelled to master concept

  • must make yourself do things even when you dont want too.

Class Activity

3yo doesnt like eating vegtables. i want him to eat them. what can i do to get him to eat veggies?

  • establish competency

  • always have it available

  • be a role model

  • we never work for things we dont want