Motivational and informational functions and consequences of children's attention to peers' work.

Abstract

Two studies (331 children ages 9-11) examined the proposal that the functions served by children's attention to peers' work differ both in their informational focus (whether children seek information either to improve their products or to evaluate their ability) and in their goal focus (whether information seeking serves either mastery or performance achievement strivings). In both studies responses to a self-report measure of reasons for looking at peers' work supported this hypothesis. Study 2 also examined the effect of a mastery versus a performance goal condition on reasons for looking at peers' work, subsequent information seeking, and interest in the task. Goal condition affected goal, but not informational, functions of looking at peers' work. Both goal condition and individual differences in endorsement of mastery versus performance reasons predicted later information seeking and interest. Implications for social comparison theory and for classroom learning and motivation are discussed.