Goal orientation and task demand effects on motivation, affect, and performance

Two studies tested the joint effects of goal orientation and task demands on motivation, affect, and performance, examining different factors affecting task demands. In Study 1 (N = 199), task difficulty was found to moderate the effect of goal orientation on performance and affect (i.e., satisfaction with performance). In Study 2 (N = 189), task consistency was found to moderate the effect of goal orientation on self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation. Results are discussed in relation to self-regulatory processes cued by goal orientations, attentional resource demands, and the need to match goal orientations to the nature of the task.     

Updating Allport's and Batson's Framework of Religious Orientations: A Reevaluation from the Perspective of Self‐Determination Theory and Wulff's Social Cognitive Model

We theoretically and empirically evaluate Allport's intrinsic‐extrinsic and Batson's quest religious orientations through the lens of self‐determination theory (SDT) and Wulff's social‐cognitive model. Confirming our theoretical analysis, we find that Allport's intrinsic‐extrinsic dichotomy fails to correspond empirically to the differentiation between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation within SDT. Whereas Allport's intrinsic religious orientation was positively related to internalized extrinsic motivation, his two extrinsic (i.e., personal and social) religious orientations were not systematically related to any of the discerned motives within SDT. Furthermore, Batson's quest orientation was unrelated to any of the SDT concepts but was positively related to symbolic disbelief. The present findings suggest that Allport's motivational orientations model needs both refinement and relabeling to better fit with recent theoretical evolutions in the field of motivational psychology.     

Core self-evaluation and career decision self-efficacy: A mediation model of value orientations

This study examined two value orientations (i.e., a doing orientation, or the tendency to commit to work ethic and goals, and a mastery orientation, or the tendency to seek control over outside forces) as mediators in the relationship between core self-evaluation and career decision self-efficacy. Data were collected from 802 Chinese university students and analyzed employing structural equation modeling. Results showed that both doing and mastery orientations fully mediated the relationship between core self-evaluation and career decision self-efficacy. Mastery orientation exhibited a stronger mediating effect on this relationship than did doing orientation. These findings reveal some important mechanisms underlying the role of core self-evaluation in career decision-making processes and offer useful implications for researchers and practitioners.     

Machiavellianism,Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Goals,and Social Interest: A Self-Determination Theory Analysis

We employ Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory of motivation in three studies to examine the goals and motivational orientation associated with Machiavellianism (MACH). Goals were classified as either extrinsic (e.g., financial success) or intrinsic (e.g., community feeling). The two types of goals are generally associated with different motivational experiences. Extrinsic goals are typically experienced as externally controlled, whereas intrinsic goals are experienced as self-determined. We predicted that MACH would be associated with an emphasis on the extrinsic goal of financial success specifically, and on a control motivational orientation in general. These predictions received support. Additional findings indicate that MACH is positively associated with alienation and antisocial behavior, but inversely associated with social interest (i.e., Adler, 1964/1938) and prosocial behavior.     

高中生感知教师支持与学习投入的关系:学业自我效能感和成就目标定向的链式中介作用

采用感知教师支持、学习投入、学业自我效能感和成就目标定向问卷对498名高中生进行问卷调查,探讨感知教师支持对学习投入的影响,以及学业自我效能感和成就目标定向的链式中介效应。结果显示：（1）感知教师支持能通过学业自我效能感间接预测高中生学习投入,感知教师支持可以通过掌握趋近、表现趋近、表现回避间接预测高中生学习投入;（2）学业自我效能感→掌握趋近、学业自我效能感→表现趋近、学业自我效能感→表现回避三者分别在感知教师支持与学习投入之间起链式中介作用,学业自我效能感→掌握回避的中介效应则不显著。上述结果表明,感知教师支持不仅能分别通过学业自我效能感、掌握趋近、表现趋近、表现回避预测高中生学习投入,还能通过学业自我效能感和成就目标定向的链式中介作用间接预测高中生学习投入。     

高中生感知教师支持与学习投入的关系:学业自我效能感和成就目标定向的链式中介作用

采用感知教师支持、学习投入、学业自我效能感和成就目标定向问卷对498名高中生进行问卷调查,探讨感知教师支持对学习投入的影响,以及学业自我效能感和成就目标定向的链式中介效应。结果显示：（1）感知教师支持能通过学业自我效能感间接预测高中生学习投入,感知教师支持可以通过掌握趋近、表现趋近、表现回避间接预测高中生学习投入;（2）学业自我效能感→掌握趋近、学业自我效能感→表现趋近、学业自我效能感→表现回避三者分别在感知教师支持与学习投入之间起链式中介作用,学业自我效能感→掌握回避的中介效应则不显著。上述结果表明,感知教师支持不仅能分别通过学业自我效能感、掌握趋近、表现趋近、表现回避预测高中生学习投入,还能通过学业自我效能感和成就目标定向的链式中介作用间接预测高中生学习投入。     

Optimal Experience Among Teachers: New Insights Into the Work Paradox

Several studies highlighted that individuals perceive work as an opportunity for flow or optimal experience, but not as desirable and pleasant. This finding was defined as the work paradox. The present study addressed this issue among teachers from the perspective of self-determination theory, investigating work-related intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as well as autonomous and controlled behavior regulation. In Study 1, 14 teachers were longitudinally monitored with Experience Sampling Method for one work week. In Study 2, 184 teachers were administered Flow Questionnaire and Work Preference Inventory, respectively investigating opportunities for optimal experience, and motivational orientations at work. Results showed that work-related optimal experiences were associated with both autonomous regulation and with controlled regulation. Moreover, teachers reported both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation at work, with a prevailing intrinsic orientation. Findings provide novel insights on the work paradox, and suggestions for teachers’ well-being promotion.     

内在动机及其前因变量

该文比较系统地介绍了目前国内外关于内在动机的概念和具体影响因素诸方面的研究进展,并对未来的研究发展方向进行了展望。内在动机主要是由于活动过程本身特性或个体内发性精神需要所引发的一种活动或工作动力。相关影响因素主要涉及个体需要兴趣情感因素、工作任务本身特性、个体成就目标设置、自我效能感、组织授权与交换以及外在激励方式等方面。未来研究的方向主要在于内在动机具体结构的深入探讨以及不同影响因素的中介变量、调节变量以及诸因素交互作用综合模型的建立等方面     

Optimal experience among teachers: new insights into the work paradox

Several studies highlighted that individuals perceive work as an opportunity for flow or optimal experience, but not as desirable and pleasant. This finding was defined as the work paradox. The present study addressed this issue among teachers from the perspective of self-determination theory, investigating work-related intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as well as autonomous and controlled behavior regulation. In Study 1, 14 teachers were longitudinally monitored with Experience Sampling Method for one work week. In Study 2, 184 teachers were administered Flow Questionnaire and Work Preference Inventory, respectively investigating opportunities for optimal experience, and motivational orientations at work. Results showed that work-related optimal experiences were associated with both autonomous regulation and with controlled regulation. Moreover, teachers reported both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation at work, with a prevailing intrinsic orientation. Findings provide novel insights on the work paradox, and suggestions for teachers' well-being promotion.     

Perceived Cognitive Diversity and Creativity: A Multilevel Study of Motivational Mechanisms and Boundary Conditions

Adopting a motivational perspective on creativity, we theorized when and how perceived cognitive diversity in teams was associated with creativity by focusing on the mediating role of intrinsic motivation and the moderating role of learning orientation. We further expanded our contribution by examining these relationships at both the individual and team levels. We used a sample of 382 Chinese employee–supervisor pairs nested within 106 teams to test our hypotheses. The results revealed that, at both the individual and team levels, learning goal orientation significantly moderated the positive association between perceived cognitive diversity and intrinsic motivation such that the latter relationship became stronger as learning goal orientation increased. Furthermore, our findings confirmed that learning goal orientation enhanced the indirect positive relationship between perceived cognitive diversity and creativity through intrinsic motivation.     

Achievement Motivation and Type A Behavior as Motivational Orientations

This study investigated the relationships among achievement motivation, Type A behavior, and motivational orientation in a sample of college undergraduates. Employing a content analytic scoring system to assess intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations in open-ended material, intrinsic orientation was associated with achievement motivation and extrinsic orientation with Type A behavior. Supplementary analyses revealed a linkage between Type A behavior and instrumental concerns about interpersonal superiority and prestige. The findings help to bridge previously disparate research traditions in dispositional achievement behavior and contextual motivational orientation.     

Relations between classroom goal structures and students’ goal orientations in mathematics classes: When is a mastery goal structure adaptive?

The purpose of this study was to test possible interactions between mastery and performance goal structures in mathematics classrooms when predicting students’ goal orientations. More specifically, we tested if the degree of performance goal structure moderated the associations between mastery goal structure and students’ goal orientations. Participants were 1628 5th to 10th grade students from eight elementary and middle schools from one large city in Norway. The data were analyzed by means of regression analysis. The results showed that the association between a mastery goal structure in the mathematics classrooms and students’ personal goal orientations were significantly moderated by the degree of performance goal structure. This was true for all dimensions of goal orientation tested in this study.     

Making plans for healthy diet: The role of motivation and action orientation

The main objective of the present study was to examine the role of motivation and action orientation in forming spontaneous (i.e., without specific instruction or manipulation) implementation intentions for a healthy diet goal. We hypothesized that (1) the adoption of a diet goal would be determined by (either intrinsic or extrinsic) motivation only whereas, (2) forming implementation intentions would be determined by intrinsic motivation and (either low or high) action orientation. These hypotheses were addressed in a sample of 142 normal weight subjects who were concerned about their dietary habits. Primary outcomes were goal intentions and implementation intentions. Our hypothesis regarding the prediction of goal intentions was confirmed whereas results relating to the prediction of implementation intentions demonstrated that intrinsic motivation and low (but not high) action orientation proved significant predictors of intentions to implement a healthy diet goal. These findings suggest that self‐regulatory skills as assessed by the concept of action orientation may relate to short‐term strategies of initiating behavior change only. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Better understanding work unit goal orientation: Its emergence and impact under different types of work unit structure

With a multisource sample comprising 1,150 employees and 230 supervisors, we investigate the effect of leader goal orientation on leader's perceptions of unit performance. We propose that a leader's goal orientation indirectly impacts performance perceptions via the shared achievement goal adopted within the unit (i.e., unit goal orientation). Further, we hypothesize that the presence and impact of unit goal orientation depend on the work unit structure. We find general support for this moderated mediation model, with the strongest evidence being associated with the learning and prove dimensions of goal orientation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).     

Predicting Individuals’ Interest After a Performance Result: The Roles of Motivational Orientations at High and Low Performance1

This field study incorporated a trichotomous typology of motivations to explore interactions of a performance result with several motivational orientations in predicting subsequent interest in a learning endeavor. Although relevant literature suggests that low performance would be associated with lower interest, we hypothesized that motivation to approach mastery (i.e., learning and achievement orientations) would counteract this negative relationship. We also hypothesized that motivation to avoid poor performance (i.e., avoid–performance orientation) would exacerbate the link between low performance and lower interest. In light of theoretical issues concerning motivation to show competence (i.e., approach–performance orientation), we did not offer a hypothesis concerning this third type of motivation. Results supported only the hypothesized interactions. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Achievement goals as mediators of the relationship between competence beliefs and test anxiety

Background. Previous work suggests that the expectation of failure is related to higher test anxiety and achievement goals grounded in a fear of failure. Aim. To test the hypothesis, based on the work of Elliot and Pekrun (2007) , that the relationship between perceived competence and test anxiety is mediated by achievement goal orientations. Sample. Self‐report data were collected from 275 students in post‐compulsory education following courses in A Level Psychology. Results. Competence beliefs were inversely related to the worry and tension components of test anxiety, both directly and indirectly through a performance‐avoidance goal orientation. A mastery‐avoidance goal orientation offered an indirect route from competence beliefs to worry only. Conclusion. These findings provide partial support for Elliot and Pekrun's (2007) model. Although significant mediating effects were found for mastery‐avoidance and performance‐avoidance goals, they were small and there may be other mechanisms to account for the relations between competence beliefs and test anxiety.     

Individual and social dimensions of Filipino students' achievement goals

Achievement goal theory assumes that self-instrumental (mastery) achievement goals are associated with academic achievement, whereas social-instrumental (performance) goals are not. However, research on Asian students shows that both mastery and performance-approach goals are positively related to achievement; possibly because achievement motivation in Asian cultures is socially oriented and not individually oriented. The current study explored the structure of the social and individual achievement motivation orientations, and how these achievement orientations and achievement goals were related to achievement of Filipino university students. The results showed two dimensions of social-oriented achievement motivations-parent-oriented and teacher-oriented motivations-and two dimensions of individual-oriented achievement motivations-personal performance standards and personal goal choice. However, these achievement motivation orientations were not associated with achievement. Instead mastery and performance-approach goals were both positively associated with academic achievement, personal performance standards, and parent-oriented achievement motivation.     

Exploring learners' self-efficacy, autonomy and motivation toward e-learning

A questionnaire survey was conducted with 116 college students (47 men, 69 women) in Central Taiwan to investigate predictive relationships among four attitudinal variables, perceived self-efficacy, learners' autonomy, intrinsic motivation, and extrinsic motivation toward e-learning. Analysis showed learners' autonomy was predictive of both intrinsic (57% independent variance explained) and extrinsic motivation (61% independent variance explained). Although perceived self-efficacy was not a predictor of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation, it correlated significantly with extrinsic motivation.     

Prospective teachers’ beliefs about students’ goal orientations: A carry-over effect of prior schooling experiences?

This study examined the relationship between prospective teachers’ (N = 166) retrospective perceptions of their own past achievement goals and their current beliefs about students’ goal orientations and achievement behaviors. Results of hierarchical regression analysis provide correlation evidence in support of a “carry-over effect” of prospective teachers’ past goal orientations on their current beliefs about students. Specifically, prospective teachers’ were found to believe that their future students will pursue goal orientations analogous to their own past goal orientations. In addition, prospective teachers’ explanations for why students might engage in or avoid achievement-directed behaviors were examined. Regardless of past goal orientation, “internal motives” (e.g., improvement and self-satisfaction) represented the most frequent explanation offered by prospective teachers for why students engage in achievement behaviors. Prospective teachers with past performance-approach goals were significantly more likely to view avoidance as a sign of “laziness,” whereas those with past performance-avoidant goals were more likely to view avoidance as resulting from a “lack of confidence and support.” Implications for subsequent research are discussed.     

成就目标定向与小学生数学学习投入的关系:学业拖延和数学焦虑的中介作用

采用问卷法对708名小学高年级学生进行调查,以考察成就目标定向、学业拖延、数学焦虑与数学学习投入之间的关系,结果显示：（1）掌握定向和表现-接近定向均能直接正向预测数学学习投入,而表现-回避定向的直接预测作用不显著;（2）掌握定向、表现-接近定向和表现-回避定向均能通过学业拖延来间接预测数学学习投入;（3）掌握定向和表现-回避定向均能通过数学焦虑来间接预测数学学习投入,但表现-接近定向不能通过数学焦虑来间接预测数学学习投入;（4）三种成就目标定向均能通过学业拖延经数学焦虑的多重中介作用来预测数学学习投入。这表明成就目标定向不仅能直接预测,还能通过学业拖延和数学焦虑的多重中介作用,来间接预测小学生数学学习投入。