Keeping it dull or making it fun: Task variation as a function of promotion versus prevention focus

The self-regulation of motivation model suggests that under certain circumstances, people will strategically vary a boring task to enhance their motivational experience. In three experiments we tested whether the likelihood of this task variation depends on a person’s orientation to promote success or prevent failure. Across studies, all participants engaged in a boring letter-copying task which was coded for task variation. Results showed that a promotion focus led to greater task variation, whereas a prevention focus led to lesser task variation. Furthermore, for those people who varied the task under a promotion focus, greater intrinsic motivation (defined as intent for future task-related behavior and as self-reported immediate task interest) was observed. Results were evident when the foci were induced below conscious awareness (Experiment 1), subtly (Experiment 2), and overtly (Experiment 3). Implications for academic and work-related tasks are discussed.     

Why do narcissists take more risks? Testing the roles of perceived risks and benefits of risky behaviors

Much prior research demonstrates that narcissists take more risks than others, but almost no research has examined what motivates this behavior. The present study tested two potential driving mechanisms of risk-taking by narcissists (i.e., heightened perceptions of benefits and diminished perceptions of risks stemming from risky behaviors) by administering survey measures of narcissism and risk-taking to a sample of 605 undergraduate college students. Contrary to what might be expected, the results suggest that narcissists appreciate the risks associated with risky behaviors just as much as do less narcissistic individuals. Their risk-taking appears to instead be fueled by heightened perceptions of benefits stemming from risky behaviors. These results are consistent with a growing body of evidence suggesting that narcissists engage in some forms of potentially problematic behaviors, such as risk-taking, because of a surplus of eagerness rather than a deficit of inhibition.     

Reduced approach motivation following nonreward: Extension of the BIS/BAS scales

The current study describes the development and validation of a new subscale to be used with the BIS/BAS scales (Carver & White, 1994). This subscale measures lowered approach motivation following nonreward. Factor analysis of the new subscale was carried out within a sample of 308 University students, test–retest reliability was established within a sample of 62 individuals, and construct validity was explored in a sample of 86 individuals by comparing scores on the new subscale with those on an existing self-report measure of apathy and on a behavioural measure of persistence. Reliability and validity of the new frustrative nonreward responsiveness subscale was found to be adequate within the populations studied. The findings are discussed in relation to theoretical accounts of BAS and BIS sensitivity.     

Conscientiousness and achievement motivation predict performance

A prospective survey was conducted to identify predictors of university students' grade point average (GPA) using separate samples of female (N = 472) and male (N = 142) students over 9 months. Big five personality traits and achievement motivation were measured. Correlations show that conscientiousness (C) and achievement motivation explained variation in GPA. Latent variable structural equation modelling showed that the effect of C on GPA is fully mediated by achievement motivation for both female and male students. Invariant factor and structural mediation models across the female and male groups are also reported. Finally, the mediation model is shown to remain significant after scholastic achievement is controlled. The findings are interpreted within the framework of Neo‐Socioanalytic theory. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Moral Obligation and Moral Motivation in Confucian Role-Based Ethics

How is the Confucian moral agent motivated to do what he or she judges to be right or good? In western philosophy, the answer to a question such as this depends on whether one is an internalist or externalist concerning moral motivation. In this article, I will first interpret Confucian ethics as role-based ethics and then argue that we can attribute to Confucianism a position on moral motivation that is neither internalist nor externalist but somewhere in between. I will then illustrate my claim with my reading of Mencius 6A4, showing that it is superior to readings found in the literature, which typically assume that Mencius is an internalist.     

自我决定理论:一个积极的人格视角

自我决定理论是有关人格和动机的理论。自我决定理论认为人的动机是一个在自主性或自我决定维度上的连续体,三种基本需要和个人的因果定向影响外在动机的内化和自主性动机的形成,人格整合和成长的过程,就是自我决定的过程。自我决定理论在教育、医疗、体育和组织等领域得到了广泛的应用。最后,文章回顾了自我决定理论在中国的研究情况,并对该领域需要进一步研究的问题做了讨论。     

政策满意度、教师支持对免费师范生职业认同的作用:从教动机的中介效应

本研究以733名免费师范生为被试,采用问卷测量法,考察师范生对免费教育政策的满意度、所感知到的教师支持,及其师范生从教动机与职业认同的特点及其相互之间的关系,并检验了从教动机在政策满意度、教师支持与职业认同之间的中介效应。结果表明：（1）师范生在政策满意度、从教动机上存在年级差异,在职业认同上存在年级和性别差异。（2）政策满意度、教师支持、从教动机与职业认同两两之间均呈显著正相关。（3）政策满意度与教师支持对职业认同的直接效应显著,从教动机在政策满意度与职业认同之间、教师支持与职业认同之间均起部分中介作用,其中从教动机对政策满意度的中介效应显著高于对教师支持的中介效应。本研究围绕这些结果进行了讨论,并提出了相应的建议和对策。     

家庭社会经济地位对小学生阅读自主性的影响:父母鼓励和阅读动机的中介作用

采用家庭社会经济地位问卷、学生阅读自主性量表、父母鼓励阅读问卷和阅读动机问卷,对313名小学生进行测查,并运用结构方程模型探讨家庭社会经济地位对阅读自主性的影响机制。结果表明:(1)家庭社会经济地位影响阅读自主性;(2)父母鼓励和阅读动机是上述影响关系的中介变量;(3)家庭社会经济地位通过父母鼓励影响阅读动机,进而影响阅读自主性,即父母鼓励和阅读动机起链式中介的作用。模型中两个中介变量父母鼓励和阅读动机一"外"一"内"协同作用,支持了家庭投资模型。