Psychological Theories Of Motivation Research Articles

Aiming high: Learning investments in German upper secondary education. Differences between immigrant and non-immigrant youth

This article addresses important aspects of the largely unexplored interplay between high educational aspirations and low academic achievement in migratory contexts. Using data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), I examine the determinants of learning investments of students who changed from vocational to academic tracking at the transition to upper secondary education. I also explore additional social challenges to upward track mobility that might affect immigrant students in a particular way. As educational disparities are often interpreted as a cumulative consequence of class- and migration-specific educational choices, I develop a learning investment model that explains differences in learning investments between immigrant and non-immigrant youth. I introduce the essential mechanisms of psychological motivation theory into a subjective expected utility (SEU) model, which allows for a specific examination of the relationship between educational aspirations, motivation, and learning investments. Results show that newcomers to academic tracking are more likely to invest in learning. Yet, learning investments in upward mobility processes may be influenced by the different learning environments of stratified education and by family dynamics. Here, I find differences between immigrant and non-immigrant youth. Thus, introducing motivational factors into an SEU model helps to understand when youth invest in learning.

From Understanding to Embodying: Moving Beyond Teaching for Understanding of the Spiritual Disciplines Through Using Psychological Theories of Motivation and Behavior

Spiritual formation is the Spirit-directed process of forming pupils of Jesus into His image. Willard (2002; 2005) and Wright (2012) provide effective guidance for the spiritual growth process and place spiritual disciplines at the heart of change. Porter (2023) expresses the need for followers of Jesus to embody the spiritual disciplines and for those communicating about the process to do so in actionable ways. The current paper takes up this call by presenting psychological theories of motivation and behavior that can be seen in Jesus’ teaching of the spiritual disciplines in the Sermon on the Mount and that Christian leaders and teachers should use when teaching the disciplines to increase the likelihood that their students will embody the practices. Initial empirical support for using the Reasoned Action Approach when teaching meditation is highlighted. The paper concludes with practical suggestions for using both theories when teaching and communicating about the spiritual disciplines.

Healthy prison cultures: factors influencing male prisoners’ engagement in exercise and subsequent healthy behaviours

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors which influence male prisoners’ motivation for, and engagement in, exercise and subsequent healthy behaviours. Design/methodology/approach The first authors conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with male prisoners inside an English medium-security male prison. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, themes were identified using thematic analysis and a critical realist perspective applied to understand objective processes behind prisoners’ experiences and shared meanings of exercise and engaging in healthy behaviours in prison. Findings Emerging themes indicate that in the context of healthy behaviours male prisoners aspired to a masculine ideal that was characterised by a culture of either adaptive behaviours, or maladaptive behaviours. The former fostered an adaptive exercise culture which promoted psychological well-being through an autonomy-supportive environment, consequently internalising motivation and minimising perceived barriers to engaging in healthy behaviours. Conversely, a culture of maladaptive behaviours fostered a maladaptive exercise culture which led to negative psychological well-being, underpinned by external forms of motivation which emphasised barriers to engaging in healthy behaviours. Practical implications Findings emphasise the need for prisons to promote an internal perceived locus of control for male prisoners when engaging in healthy behaviours. Originality/value The authors adopt a rare interdisciplinary approach combining a psychological theory of motivation and criminological perspectives of prison culture to understand how best to minimise the impact of prisons as an institution on the psychological well-being of male prisoners.

Reflections of the Human Psyche: An Intricate Analysis of Motivation, Behavior, and Societal Echoes in Ted Elemeforo's The Fountain of Betrayal

This research presents a comprehensive analysis of human motivation, behaviour, and actions within the context of Ted Elemeforo's novel, The Fountain of Betrayal. Employing a backdrop of social realism, the essay explores how literature draws inspiration from society and acquires functional significance. The study highlights the role of literature in mirroring societal aspects, with characters embodying various forms of consciousness pertaining to the significance of distinctions. By delving into the realm of subconscious mental factors influencing character behaviour, this research employs Maslow's psychological motivation theory of needs as a theoretical framework. The selected novel's characters are intricately examined as integral components of society, revealing how diverse types and levels of needs profoundly impact their decision-making processes. Ultimately, this investigation uncovers the concealed mens rea (mental component) underlying the actus reus (physical component) of human actions, leading to a comprehensive comprehension of the intricacies of human motivation. This study contributes to a broader understanding of human behaviour and the intricate interplay between societal influences and individual actions.

An integrative effort: Bridging motivational intensity theory and recent neurocomputational and neuronal models of effort and control allocation.

An increasing number of cognitive, neurobiological, and computational models have been proposed in the last decade, seeking to explain how humans allocate physical or cognitive effort. Most models share conceptual similarities with motivational intensity theory (MIT), an influential classic psychological theory of motivation. Yet, little effort has been made to integrate such models, which remain confined within the explanatory level for which they were developed, that is, psychological, computational, neurobiological, and neuronal. In this critical review, we derive novel analyses of three recent computational and neuronal models of effort allocation-the expected value of control theory, the reinforcement meta-learner (RML) model, and the neuronal model of attentional effort-and establish a formal relationship between these models and MIT. Our analyses reveal striking similarities between predictions made by these models, with a shared key tenet: a nonmonotonic relationship between perceived task difficulty and effort, following a sawtooth or inverted U shape. In addition, the models converge on the proposition that the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex may be responsible for determining the allocation of effort and cognitive control. We conclude by discussing the distinct contributions and strengths of each theory toward understanding neurocomputational processes of effort allocation. Finally, we highlight the necessity for a unified understanding of effort allocation, by drawing novel connections between different theorizing of adaptive effort allocation as described by the presented models. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Motivation to interaction media: The impact of automation trust and self-determination theory on intention to use the new interaction technology in autonomous vehicles.

This research investigated the effects of three psychological needs (competence, autonomy, and relatedness) of self-determination theory (SDT) and automation trust on the intention of users to employ new interaction technology brought by autonomous vehicles (AVs), especially interaction mode and virtual image. This study focuses on the discussion from the perspective of psychological motivation theory applied to AV interaction technology. With the use of a structured questionnaire, participants completed self-report measures related to these two interaction technologies; a total of 155 drivers' responses were analyzed. The results indicated that users' intentions were directly predicted by their perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness of SDT and automation trust, which jointly explained at least 66% of the variance in behavioral intention. In addition to these results, the contribution of predictive components to behavioral intention is influenced by the type of interaction technology. Relatedness and competence significantly impacted the behavioral intention to use the interaction mode but not the virtual image. These findings are essential in that they support the necessity of distinguishing between types of AV interaction technology when predicting users' intentions to use.

A Needs Learning Algorithm Applied to Stable Gait Generation of Quadruped Robot

Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, we have proposed a novel machine learning algorithm that combines factors of the environment and its own needs to make decisions for different states of an agent. This means it can be applied to the gait generation of a quadruped robot, which needs to make demand decisions. To evaluate the design, we created an experimental task in order to compare the needs learning algorithm with a reinforcement learning algorithm, which was also derived from psychological motivation theory. It was found that the needs learning algorithm outperformed the reinforcement learning in tasks that involved making decisions between different levels of needs. Finally, we applied the needs learning algorithm to the problem of stable gait generation of quadruped robot, and it had achieved good results in simulation and real robot.

ASSESSMENT OF THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN AZERBAIJAN PRIVATE BANKING SYSTEM

The purpose of this study is to develop the principles and methodological apparatus of the system for increasing customer loyalty of banking services on the basis of relationship marketing in Azerbaijan banking system. In accordance with the goal, the following tasks were solved: 1. The features of banking services that determine the specifics of marketing banking services are identified. 2. The areas of application of psychological theories of motivation in the marketing of banking services are analyzed, and the features of the decision-making process on the purchase of banking services are highlighted. 3. The state and prospects of the domestic banking services market, its structure, and competitive environment have been studied. 4. A comparative analysis of the proposal of Azerbaijan and foreign banks. 5. The factors affecting the formation of customer loyalty are identified. 6. Studied the relationship marketing tools used to increase customer loyalty. 7. The methodological apparatus of the system for increasing the loyalty of banking consumers has been developed. In particular, a procedure has been developed for assessing customer satisfaction - the main component of loyalty; the procedure for identifying key consumers has been developed; strategies to increase the loyalty of key consumers are described; specific ways to increase loyalty are indicated.

The impact of engaging leadership on employee engagement and team effectiveness: A longitudinal, multi-level study on the mediating role of personal- and team resources.

Most research on the effect of leadership behavior on employees’ well-being and organizational outcomes is based on leadership frameworks that are not rooted in sound psychological theories of motivation and are limited to either an individual or organizational levels of analysis. The current paper investigates whether individual and team resources explain the impact of engaging leadership on work engagement and team effectiveness, respectively. Data were collected at two time points on N = 1,048 employees nested within 90 work teams. The Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling results revealed that personal resources (i.e., optimism, resiliency, self-efficacy, and flexibility) partially mediated the impact of T1 individual perceptions of engaging leadership on T2 work engagement. Furthermore, joint perceptions of engaging leadership among team members at T1 resulted in greater team effectiveness at T2. This association was fully mediated by team resources (i.e., performance feedback, trust in management, communication, and participation in decision-making). Moreover, team resources had a significant cross-level effect on individual levels of engagement. In practical terms, training and supporting leaders who inspire, strengthen, and connect their subordinates could significantly improve employees’ motivation and involvement and enable teams to pursue their common goals successfully.

Model of motivations for engaging in polyamorous relationships

Polyamory is a form of consensual non-monogamy (CNM) based on the belief that people can participate in and build multiple romantic and/or sexual relationships with the consent of all involved. This form of CNM relationship is increasingly visible in societies where monogamy is a prevalent norm. Research in the field of polyamory has yielded many findings regarding the multiple relational benefits of polyamory. However, there is a limited number of studies in the literature focusing specifically on why some people find polyamory more appealing than an exclusive, dyadic partner relationship. Therefore, framed within the historical context in which polyamory emerged and the associated stigmatization, this study presents a model of the psychological motivations for considering/engaging in/remaining in a polyamorous relationship in an era when monogamy and the binary nature of intimate and sexual relationships is being deconstructed. The study is based on a secondary theoretical analysis of recent psychological studies on polyamory, discussed in light of the relevant psychological theories of motivation. The result is an 8-component model of diverse potential polyamory motivations, individually or in aggregate. The motivations were organized into eight domains: fulfilment of needs not met in a monogamous relationship; personal growth and autonomy; identity development and polyamory; expression of political values; exploring minority identities (sexual fluidity and bisexuality); need to belong to a community; desire for sexual diversity; and psychodynamic reasons. This study also shows there may be diversified need of psychotherapeutic approaches for polyamorous individuals.

Striving to Teach Versus Modern Realia

There have always been challenges confronting both teachers and students in the process of sharing knowledge and skills. The purpose of the article is to analyze the situation that has become even more demanding due to the changes connected with the implementation of distance learning. Theoretical and methodological base of the research consists of an approach connected with the use of such methods as analysis, generalization and interpretation of the psychological theory of motivation and the concept of amotivation and its consequences; observation of the current educational situation with regard to its active participants. Results focus on modern realia, when the educational conditions have been greatly changed in connection with the pandemic situation, it is possible to notice decrease of motivation among the students. Students tend to miss classes as they believe that teaching can be ineffective, prefer not to answer during the lesson, take time in handing in their homework, fellow students influence their choice of being less diligent. Technical problems or inability to participate in an active way in the process of the lesson can really worsen the situation with the desire to get proper knowledge. Conclusion. That is why teaching big group of students and individual approach when conducting online lessons can be so challenging to teachers. It can lead to burning out while working and teacher wellbeing is also at risk, its great importance has been once again proven and highlighted.

Interface of Pragmatics and Psychology in Motivational Oratory

Motivational oratory is an area in which the theories of pragmatics and social psychology interact together. This paper presents a review of the selected theories of both social psychology and pragmatics, which are relevant for motivational oratory. It briefly explains how psychological theories of motivation, such as Hierarchy of Needs Theory, Two factor theory and Need for Achievement Theory, are useful for a motivational orator. It also traces a connection between motivational oratory and certain theories in pragmatics, such as Speech Act Theory, Politeness theory, and Cooperative Principles.

A Human Factors Evaluation of a Screening System for Diabetic Retinopathy Centered in Psychological Theory

People with diabetes are at risk for diabetic retinopathy (DR), a leading cause of blindness. Early treatment can preserve sight; however, screening rates are low. We utilized psychological theories of motivation in tandem with human factors tools such as heuristic evaluation and task analysis to develop interventions to improve screening rates at a single clinic. Interventions addressed the system of screening, from the patients and their choices to clinic workers, device usability, and the clinic environment. Findings showed potential solutions to the screening issue situated within the theory of planned behavior. Future steps are to refine interventions and measure effectiveness.

Research on Motivation Theory and Enlightenment to Teaching

The paper integrates psychological motivation theory and analyzes its role in second language learning. The motivation of psychological exploration is conducted to a better understanding of motivation and human behavior from different perspectives. In this way, we can recognize the impact of external forces on human beings, go deep into the inner world, and examine the relationship between learners and their surrounding environment, It also attempts to explore the inspiration of motivation theory on learning second language, so that teachers can get better teaching results and pave the way for future research.

Motivation to access laparoscopic skills training: Results of a Canadian survey of obstetrics and gynecology residents.

Competency based medical education (CBME) requires novel approaches to surgical education. Significant investment has been made in laparoscopic simulation, which has been shown to foster skill development prior to patient encounters. However, research suggests variable voluntary use of these resources by residents, and little is known about the motivational factors that influence their utilization. The purpose of this study was to characterize factors that motivate residents to seek laparoscopic simulation experience outside of the formal curriculum. We developed a questionnaire grounded in Expectancy Value Theory, an established psychological theory of motivation, by adapting validated measures to fit the study context. We conducted a cross sectional survey of Canadian obstetrics and gynecology residents. We invited residents enrolled in English-language obstetrics and gynecology training programs in Canada to participate. All residents engaged in clinical duties during Winter 2018 were invited to complete the questionnaire. Forty-four Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob/Gyn) residents participated in the study. Residents reported limited use of simulation resources and identified multiple barriers including lack of time, access, and supervision. They expressed concern about development of bad habits during independent practice, and simulation use was positively correlated with perceived utility. Compared to junior residents, senior residents reported greater enjoyment of laparoscopic surgery, less emotional costs, and higher self-efficacy for learning laparoscopy. Residents' perception of utility and barriers impede voluntary simulation use and overall use was limited. As programs undertake curricula redevelopment for CBME, mitigating barriers and improving perceived utility of laparoscopic simulation is vital to increase use and enhance skill development.

Social media usage in container shipping companies: Analysis of Facebook messages

The importance of social media is increasing rapidly in the business world as in the lives of individuals. However, business-to-business (B2B) markets have difficulties in adapting to the newest 21st-century forms of communication. This study evaluates the current social media behaviors of container shipping companies to help practitioners increase their engagement in relation to the algorithms of these platforms. After identifying container shipping companies that use social media most actively, this study analyzed their Facebook messages in terms of branding, message appeals, direct-sales, and information cues, drawing on WOM psychological motivation theory and dual process theory. The study reveals that most companies do not use social media technology, and lack clear, generally accepted social media strategies. The analysis indicates that the inclusion of emotional appeals increases the engagement level of the messages but direct-calls-to-purchase decreases. Video and photo contents produce better engagement while video content increases virality. Finally, the number of fans of these companies no longer directly affects the engagement rate of posts with Facebook's changing News Feed algorithm. This means that the current engagement rate calculation methods in the literature have become obsolete. It is recommended that practitioners closely follow the ever-changing algorithms of social media channels and should not hesitate to use social media advertising.

ПРОБЛЕМЫ МОТИВАЦИИ В ЗАРУБЕЖНЫХ ТЕОРИЯХ ЛИЧНОСТИ

Foreign author’s psychological theories of personality from the point of view of formulating and solving issues related to the field of motivation of human behavior are examined in the article. The theories are mainly presented, which are usually considered both in monographs devoted to theoretical issues of personality psychology, and in books, the purpose of which is to illuminate motivational issues. The provisions of these theories related to the topic of motivation are revealed and discussed. Particular attention is paid to the lack of clear scientific criteria for classifying a particular theory as a personal or motivational problem, although in fact motivation is only a particular aspect of personality psychology. In conclusion, the point is made that in modern theories of personality, the issues of motivation of human behavior are disclosed quite fully and versatile, however, there is still no unified, holistic psychological theory of motivation and a clear division of the theory into personal and motivational. The same is stated with regard to psychological theories of personality, which differ significantly from each other in terms of terminology, problems considered in them and scientific solutions offered to them.

INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY IN TEACHING BIOLOGY FOR GRADE TEN STUDENTS

Biology is a very important discipline as it focusses on structure and functions of living organisms in this world. Hence, it has become a significant area of study in school curriculum and it is also a main subject discipline in the Grade 10 science syllabus in Sri Lanka. The time allocated for the biology section in Grade 10 syllabus is one third of the total time. Although, biology is perceived as an easy discipline to study compared to other disciplines in science, students’ achievement in biology is not very satisfactory. Thus, there may be different reasons for students’ poor achievement in biology such as content in the syllabus, teaching style, students’ learning and studying habits, students’ negative feeling and attitudes towards the topics, and lack of enough resources (Cimer, 2011).  The practices based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) could be used in biology classrooms to enhance students’ enthusiasm towards learning. SDT is an important psychological theory of motivation and it addresses issues of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. According to SDT people have three innate psychological needs: competence, relatedness, and autonomy. If these universal needs are met, the theory argues that people will function and grow optimally. Thus, to actualize their inherent potential, the social environment needs to nurture these needs (Deci & Ryan, 2014). However, there is a dearth of research and practices in Sri Lankan school classrooms using SDT to facilitate students’ learning. Hence, the unit of “Classification of Organisms” in Grade 10 syllabus was selected to study the effectiveness of SDT in teaching biology for Grade 10 students.   “Classification of Organisms” is an important unit since it is the foundation of learning about different types of living beings. This is an experimental study and two groups of students were used as control and experimental. Experimental group is taught using the SDT and the control group is taught according to the traditional method. During the lessons observations were made while maintain the records of field notes. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis. Students’ motivation, engagement, enthusiasm, and performance in both groups were compared. The results of the study showed that the above characteristics are higher in the experimental group compared to the control group. Thus, the classroom practices based on the SDT can be used as a good technique in teaching biology in order to enhance the students’ intrinsic motivation.

Longitudinal associations between perceived programme quality, basic needs support and basic needs satisfaction within youth sport: A person-centred approach

Acknowledging the importance of longitudinal data to test process-based psychological theories of motivation is critical. The purpose of this study was to use a person-centred approach to identify unique subgroups (i.e. profiles) of youth athletes based on their level of self-reported programme quality (PQ) and basic needs support mid-way through their sport season and investigate potential differences between the subgroups on their self-reported basic needs satisfaction at the end of the sport season. The current study involved 541 Canadian youth athletes (males n = 289; females n = 250; gender-fluid n = 2) within 52 sport programmes over the course of 18 months. Youth athletes ranged in age from 8 through 19 (M = 13.76, SD = 2.61). A latent profile analysis (LPA) in Mplus 8.0 was used to carry out the analyses. The LPA revealed three distinct profiles based on youth athletes’ levels of self-reported PQ and basic needs support. Specifically, athletes who perceived their sport experience to be of higher quality and supported their basic psychological needs midway through the sport season also reported higher levels of basic needs satisfaction at season end. Results from this study contribute to the field of sport psychology through understanding how basic needs theory contributes to the dimensions of programme quality and by informing recommendations for future coach education on how to satisfy youth athletes’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness through programme delivery.

Evaluating Facebook brand content popularity for service versus goods offerings

Marketers using social media are struggling with its successful implementation, specifically in engaging their audiences through creation of popular brand content. Yet, creating popular brand content can lead to positive financial and brand outcomes. This research examines Fortune 500 companies' brand content strategies that contribute to Facebook content popularity metrics (i.e., number of likes and comments) for service versus goods offerings. Building on psychological motivation theory and the noted differences in culture and capabilities between goods and service firms, the article analyzes the key differences in service and goods brand content strategies in terms of branding, message appeals, and vividness. The findings from a multivariate multilevel Poisson model show that the use of corporate brand names is more popular for service messages whereas the use of product brand names, images, and videos is more popular for goods messages. Furthermore, service messages generate a higher number of comments than goods messages.