Motivation III

Motivation III Notes

Date & Venue

  • Date: Friday, January 16th, 2025

  • Location: KPER 2540

  • Instructor: Dr. Shaelyn Strachan

Review from Last Class

  • Discussion around Rob, who is considered to maintain a healthy weight and does not feel the need to lose weight; thus, sees no value in exercising.

    • Theory of Planned Behaviour Variables Discussed:

    • Attitudes: Personal beliefs about behavior.

    • Subjective Norms: Perceived social pressures.

    • Perceived Behavioural Control: Beliefs about how easy/difficult a behavior is to perform.

    • Intentions: Plans to perform a behavior.

  • Question Examined: Which variable best explains why Rob doesn’t exercise?

Case Study on Lee

  • Profile of Lee: Unfit individual who hires a personal trainer for intensive workouts.

    • After a few tough sessions, Lee experiences soreness and anticipates the next workout negatively, impacting his confidence.

  • Self-Efficacy Theory Discussion:

    • Sources of self-efficacy that may affect confidence include:

    • Past Experience/Mastery Experience: Previous successes leading to confidence.

    • Vicarious Experience: Observing others and believing in personal capabilities based on that.

    • Social Persuasion: Feedback from others that encourages and motivates.

    • Physiological/Affective States: Emotional and physical feelings affecting performance and self-belief.

  • Question Examined: What source best explains Lee’s declining self-efficacy?

Concept of Self-Efficacy

  • Definition: Belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute actions required to manage prospective situations.

Review of Theories Discussed

  1. Theory of Planned Behaviour

  2. Social Cognitive Theory

  3. Self-Efficacy Theory

Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985)

  • Overview: A comprehensive theory regarding human motivation and development.

  • Focuses on the autonomy of behaviors versus external control.

    • Key Focus: How behaviors are adopted of one’s own volition versus being controlled by external agents (e.g., rewards, punishments).

  • Sub-Structures: The theory is comprised of five sub-theories; emphasis will be placed on two.

Cognitive Evaluation Theory

  • Intrinsic Motivation: Engaging in a behavior for its own sake, experiencing self-reward.

    • Key Constructs Influencing Intrinsic Motivation:

    • Competence: The feeling of being effective in one’s actions.

    • Autonomy: The feeling that activities are self-chosen and align with personal values.

    • Social Contexts Impact: Influence on intrinsic motivation can lead to negative consequences.

      • Detrimental Factors:

      • Social Pressure

      • Negative Reinforcement

      • Threat or Punishment

      • Competition

      • Rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation unless experienced in a non-controlling manner (e.g., informational rewards, unexpected rewards).

Research Example (Medic et al., 2007)

  • Study Context: Examined the motivation of collegiate basketball players in relation to scholarship pressures.

  • Findings: The dependency on scholarships correlated with a decrease in reported intrinsic motivation for basketball.

    • Relevance to Self-Determination Theory: External pressure may diminish intrinsic motivation as per cognitive evaluation theory.

  • Citation: Medic, N., Mack, D.E., Wilson, P.M. & Starkes, J.L. (2007). The effects of athletic scholarships on motivation in sport. Journal of Sport Behaviour, 30(3), 292-306.

Beneficial Factors for Intrinsic Motivation

  • References include:

    • Deci, E., & Ryan, R.M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268.

    • Ryan, R.M. (2017). Cognitive Evaluation Theory, Part I. In R.M. Ryan (ed.), The Handbook of Self-Determination Theory.

Organismic Integration Theory

  • Overview: Addresses the various forms of extrinsic motivation; differentiating between engaging in an activity for reasons beyond the enjoyment itself.

    • Extrinsic Motivation Spectrum: Ranges from a lack of motivation (Amotivation) to forms that are more integrated with personal values.

    • Terminology:

    • Intrinsic Motivation: Engaging for inherent enjoyment

    • Integrated Regulation: Aligning behavior with self-identity.

    • Identified Regulation: Activities pursued due to personal importance.

    • Introjected Regulation: Engaging to avoid feelings of guilt or obligation.

    • External Regulation: Actions driven by desire for external rewards or avoidance of punishment.

    • Amotivation: Absence of intention or motivation.

Motivational Continuum

  • Scale from Low to High Self-Determination:

    • Transitioning from Amotivation through various extrinsic forms to intrinsic motivation.

Importance of Motivation Quality

  • Research Findings: In sports and exercise, higher quality motivation (intrinsic, integrated, identified) is linked to positive outcomes in persistence, performance, and well-being.

Strategies to Enhance Motivation Along the Self-Determination Continuum

  1. Meeting the Three Psychological Needs:

    • Autonomy: Creating opportunities for choices that align with personal preferences.

    • Competence: Ensuring activities are appropriately challenging and foster growth.

    • Relatedness: Fostering connections and care in social contexts related to activities.

  2. Individual Actions:

    • Choose challenging goals, engage in environments fostering social connections, and practice supportive self-talk.

    • Involve family and friends in exercise/sport activities.

Recap of Self-Determination Theory

  • Cognitive Evaluation Theory: Focus on intrinsic motivation influenced by social environments.

  • Organismic Integration Theory: Defines a range of motivations from amotivation to intrinsic and various forms of extrinsic motivations.

  • Unfocused Theories: Basic Psychological Needs Theory, outlining autonomy, competence, and relatedness as essential for self-determination in actions.