Motivating the Unmotivated Student: Where s the Locus of Control? Karen Sullivan-Vance Director, Academic Advising and Learning Center Western Oregon University sullivak@wou.edu
Abstract Is your locus of control intrinsic or extrinsic? Do you ever struggle to find ways to motivate your students? What motivates you? For students this is an important question. Too often students struggle with finding motivation for their academic studies. If students lack motivation, then advisors face a difficult task of trying to get students to see the value of their education. This presentation will look at motivation through different prisms including intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, content theory, cognitive theory, operant conditioning, push and pull motivations and temporal motivation, achievement motivation and self efficacy.
What is Motivation? Motivation is the force that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. It is what causes us to take action, whether to grab a snack to reduce hunger or enroll in college to earn a degree. The forces that lie beneath motivation can be biological, social, emotional or cognitive in nature. Kendra Cherry, 2015
What do you lack motivation for? Survey says
Types of Motivation Instinct Achievement Extrinsic Intrinsic
Intrinsic Intrinsic motivation occurs when we act without any obvious external rewards. We simply enjoy an activity or see it as an opportunity to explore, learn and actualize our potentials. Coon & Mitterer, 2010
Factors that Increase Intrinsic Motivation Challenge Curiosity Control Cooperation and Competition Recognition Malone and Lepper (1987)
Extrinsic Motivation Motivated by reward or avoid punishment. Study to get good grades Participating in sports to win awards Competing in scholarship contests to win money Doing chores to avoid being reprimanded
Extrinsic Rewards on Intrinsic Motivation Researchers have found: 1. Unexpected external rewards typically do not decrease intrinsic motivation. 2. Praise can help increase internal motivation. 3. Intrinsic motivation will decrease, however, when external rewards are given for only doing minimal work.
Content Theory The earliest theories about motivation: Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs Theory X and Theory Y ERB Theory McClelland's Needs for Achievement, Affiliation and Power
Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs
Theory X and Theory Y Theory X- People dislike work and will avoid it Most people need to be directed, cajoled or threatened with punishment to get them to work People prefer to be directed, do not want to be accountable responsibility, they lack ambition and only want security.
Theory X and Theory Y Theory Y- Work is normal, just as play and rest are normal. People use self-direction and self-control when they are committed to the goals. Rewards help people to commit to and achieve goals. People learn to accept responsibility and also seek it out. The ability to seek and develop innovative problem solving approaches is widely, not narrowly distributed across the whole population. Most organizations underutilize the abilities of their employees.
ERB Theory Existence Needs Relatedness Needs Growth Needs
McClelland s Need for Achievement, Affiliation and Power All people have these three needs: Achievement Affiliation Power
Cognitive Theory Piaget s Theory of Cognitive Development How humans come to acquire and use knowledge Children construct meaning from what they know and change meaning through their experiences
Operant Conditioning Modify behavior by using positive and negative responses. Neutral Operants Reinforcers Punishers
Push and Pull Motivations People push themselves towards their goals or to achieve something. Pull motivation is much stronger. The desire to achieve the goal is so strong we are pulled towards it.
Temporal Motivation Temporal Motivation Theory looks at the impact of time and deadlines with regards to the allocation of attention to task. Perceived usefulness/benefit of an activity increases as the deadline for completion nears. Motivation = (Expectancy x Value)/{1 + (Impulsiveness x Delay)} Greater the individual s self-efficacy for completing the task, and the higher the value of the outcome, the greater the motivation to complete it. Motivation is reduced by impulsivity and large amount of time before a deadline.
Activity Break Break up into groups and talk about the information you just received. How do you think you could use it (or not) in working with students?
How to Motivate? Understand that each student is different. What motivates one will not motivate another. Take time to get to know your students and what they value, what they want to do with their lives and what their goals are. Expand your knowledge in advising.
Appreciative Advising
Motivational Interviewing Motivational interviewing is a collaborative conversation style for strengthening a person s own motivation and commitment to change. Miller and Rollnick, 2013
Motivational Interviewing Four key processes in MI are: Engaging Focusing Evoking Planning
Motivational Interviewing Five key communication skills used in MI: Asking open questions Affirming Reflecting Summarizing Providing information and advice
Motivation for Advisors fundamentally recognize that people will learn best and most deeply when they have a strong sense of control over their own education rather than feeling manipulated by someone else s demands. Bain, 2004
Case Studies Get in small groups and let s work together to see how you can utilize what you have learned today.
Resources Bloom, J. (2016) http://www.appreciativeadvising.net/ Boundless. Temporal Motivation Theory. Boundless Psychology. Boundless, 20 Aug. 2015. Retrieved 16 Feb. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless psychology textbook/motivation 12/theories of motivation 65/temporal motivation theory 255 12790/ Fields, J. (2011). The Truth about Motivation: Push, pull and death. Psychology Today. Retrieved 16 Feb 2016. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/awakethe wheel/201109/the truth about motivation push pull and death Heil, G., Bennis, W., Stephens, D.C. (2000). Douglas McGregor Revisited: Managing the human side of the enterprise. Wiley, New York, NY. Herzberg, F. (1987), One more time: how do you motivate employees?, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 65 No. 5, pp. 109 20, including a retrospective commentary (originally published in 1968). Herzberg, F., Mausner, B. and Snyderman, B. (1959),The Motivation to Work, Wiley, New York, NY. McGregor, D. (1960). Original XY Theory model.
Resources Miller, W.R. & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational Interviewing: Helping people change. The Guilford Press, New York: NY Maslow, A. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370 396. Retrieved February 2016, from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/maslow/motivation.htm. Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper. McLeod, S. A. (2015). Skinner Operant Conditioning. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/operant conditioning.html Piaget, J., Gruber, H. (Ed.) & Voneche, J.J. (Ed.). (1995). The Essential Piaget: An interpretive reference and guide. Jason Aronson, Inc. Wadsworth, Barry J. (1996). Piaget's theory of cognitive and affective development: Foundations of constructivism (5th ed.). White Plains, NY, England: Longman Publishing