3.1: Theories of Motivation
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Introduction: Exploring Your Inner Motivation
Consider one of the college courses you currently are taking. Do you find the course interesting or valuable? Do you think you will do well in the course? Have you had academic experiences in the past where you have performed poorly? Do you feel like you have the resources to succeed? All of these factors can impact your motivation.
As we mentioned in our introduction, nearly 40% of undergraduates do not finish college 9 . These statistics are even more stark for community college students who average a 42% completion rate 10 . Part-time community college students are the most at risk of withdrawing because they are often first-generation college students who are balancing school with their jobs and caring for dependents. In our experiences as instructors, we have seen students trying to balance school with seemingly impossible levels of responsibilities and challenges. Yet the students who were most able to persevere and reach their goals always had high levels of motivation. They believed in their ability to succeed, took personal responsibility for their outcomes, and learned from their failures. In this chapter we will explore your inner motivation and discuss strategies to increase motivation.
3.1 Theories of Motivation
The research on motivation is extensive, and there are numerous theories to understand why and how we are motivated. Three components that are consistent in many of these theories are a person’s belief in their ability, a person’s expectations of success or failure, and a person’s sense of control over their outcomes 11 . Researchers Eccles & Wigfield assert that these three components directly influence a person’s answer to the question: “Can I do this task?” If the answer is "yes," then you are more likely to be successful and further motivated to attempt challenging tasks. Let's take a closer look at these three components.
Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is your belief in your own ability to succeed in reaching a goal 13 . Students who have high self-efficacy are more persistent in reaching their goals, and they also are more resilient when they face failure 14 . Self-efficacy is different from self-esteem which is how good you feel about yourself. Self-efficacy is your belief in your ability to accomplish something.
For example, Marc was frustrated that he had to take an English class for his degree and didn't believe he was able to be successful. He struggled with writing papers in high school, and he knew he "just wasn't good at writing." When Marc received a failing grade on his first paper, he stopped attending class and thought to himself "what's the point?" Marc lacked self-efficacy; he did not believe he was able to succeed and when faced with challenges, he was unable to remain motivated.
Take another student, Gina, who also struggled with writing. Gina believed, however, that she could be successful if she worked hard and got help from tutoring. When Gina received a low grade on her paper, she was frustrated, but she knew the class was important and still believed she could be successful. After class she went straight to tutoring to review her mistakes and get suggestions for improvement. Her self-efficacy allowed her to push through her failure and continue towards her goal.
PRO TIP:
Tutoring isn't just for help when you need it and are struggling- it's also there for reinforcement, validation, and confidence-building.
- Cathy Rosenkrans, Assistant Director of Tutoring
Locus of Control
Self-efficacy also builds on the belief that you are in control of your own success and failure. People with an internal locus of control believe they are in control or are the cause of their success based on their own effort or ability. People with an external locus of control believe outside forces, such as luck or fate, determine their success. Research has shown that people who have an internal locus of control are more motivated and more likely to succeed 15 .
Their expectation of success also is directly related to the extent they feel in control of their own success and failure 16 .
In the example above, Marc had an external locus of control believing there was nothing he could do; he "just wasn't good at writing." In Gina's case, she had an internal locus of control; she believed she could improve her writing ability with hard work and help from tutoring.
Expectancy and Value
Many things can impact your motivation including your goals, sense of self-efficacy, and sense of control over your actions. Two additional aspects of motivation are your expectation of success and the value you place on a goal. This theory is referred to as expectancy-value theory and can be seen as the formula: Expectation x Value = Motivation 17 . In this theory, expectation refers to how you think you will perform on a particular task or goal 18 . How you perceive yourself and how you perceive the challenge of the task will influence your expectation of success 19 . Additionally, your value will influence how appealing the goal is and how motivated you are to achieve the goal 20 .
In the example above, Marc had a low expectation of success and low value of the class so his motivation was also low. In Gina's case she had a higher expectation of succeeding in the class and knew the class was valuable to her so her motivation was much higher.
9 National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). The condition of Education. National Center for Education Statistics The Condition of Education [nces.ed.gov]
10 National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). The condition of Education. National Center for Education Statistics The Condition of Education [nces.ed.gov]
11 Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology , 53 (1), 109–132. https://doi-org.ezproxy.hacc.edu/10.....100901.135153 .
12 Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology , 53 (1), 109–132. https://doi-org.ezproxy.hacc.edu/10.....100901.135153 .
13 Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control . New York: Freeman
14 Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control . New York: Freeman.
15 Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology , 53 (1), 109–132. https://doi-org.ezproxy.hacc.edu/10.....100901.135153 .
16 Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology , 53 (1), 109–132. https://doi-org.ezproxy.hacc.edu/10.....100901.135153 .
17 Wigfield, A., & Eccles, J. S. (2000). Expectancy--value theory of achievement motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology , 25 (1), 68–81. https://doi-org.ezproxy.hacc.edu/10....ceps.1999.1015 .
18 Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology , 53 (1), 109–132. https://doi-org.ezproxy.hacc.edu/10.....100901.135153 .
19 Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology , 53 (1), 109–132. https://doi-org.ezproxy.hacc.edu/10.....100901.135153 .
20 Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology , 53 (1), 109–132. https://doi-org.ezproxy.hacc.edu/10.....100901.135153 .