Motivation and Emotion (Fall 2018)

Brief Overview As curious beings, we tend to ask ourselves why things happen. We try to interpret certain events and how it relates to our behavior. The Attribution Theory is how we explain those things, whether it's to search for understanding, mastery, or control. According to B. Weiner, ability effort, task difficulty, and luck are four factors of achievement attribution. Attributions are classified in three dimensions: →Locus of Control      ∟who caused the event; self or other?      ∟internal or external control →Controllability      ∟how much personal control was involved?      ∟uncontrollable or controllable →Stability      ∟is event highly stable or is it changeable?      ∟changeable or stable Specific dimensions of primary attributions are as follows: →Ability      ∟locus of control: internal      ∟controllability: uncontrollable ...

Brief Overview Achieving goals takes more than just writing down a list of what we plan to accomplish. The mechanics and obstacles of first setting goals to reaching them can be a long and purposeful journey.  The idea of Locke and Latham's  Goal-Setting Theory is pretty self-explanatory —setting goals to perform certain tasks. It can be a powerful tool used to challenge and motivate us towards achieving our goals.   There are four mechanisms that put together this theory: →Direction      ∟goals direct attention and effort towards goal-related tasks →Effort      ∟difficult goals lead to greater effort →Persistance      ∟difficult goals lead take time to accomplish; push through setbacks →Cognition      ∟goals can change a person's behavior Goal-striving can be effective when the goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (S.M.A.R.T.). As long as the goals are S.M.A.R.T., factor...

Brief Overview The Expectancy-Value Theory is made up of two components that make up motivation: expectancy and value. These two variables play an important role in predicting an individual's future decisions, persistence, involvement, and achievements. → Expectancy      ∟an individual's belief in their capabilities and expectations for success      ∟"Can I do this task?" → Value      ∟an individual's personal goals, reasons, incentives      ∟it's the importance of worth in doing certain tasks      ∟"Why do I want to do this task?" M (motivation)  = E (expectancy)  x V (value) To put it simply, if an individual has high expectancy and high value, then it will result in high positive motivation. If both variables are low, then it will result in no motivation. If one variable is high and the other is low, then motivation may vary. His Determination Expectations can come with heavy disap...