Motivation Expectancy Value Theory - Research Paper Example

Motivation Expectancy Value Theory April 21st Motivation Expectancy Value Theory Many theorists have attempted to discern on the various ways that people make choices regarding achieving tasks, how to persist in those tasks with lots of vigor and how individuals enhance performance on the said tasks. Vansteenkiste, Lens, Witte, and Feather (2005) in their journal wrote that expectancy value theory is a cognitive-motivational theory that relates to an individual’s level or strength of motivation.

This is because a person strives to attain a certain goal with the expectations to attain the desired goal and the incentive value or valence of that goal (e.g. finding a job). Diverse researchers have developed to some extent diverse expectancy-value replicas; however, the current formulation of the replica is founded upon the job of Feather and his contemporaries, since they applied the theory to the unemployment domain in previous research. Motivation influences choices, performance and even perseverance in one way or another.

Expectancy value theory is based on four assumptions: people usually seek to confirm their self-image; different activities provide different opportunities for an individual to confirm or contradict his/her image. In addition, people usually value activities that confirm or provide an opportunity to confirm their self-image. Moreover, they usually align these activities with long-term goals more than those activities that do not. The last assumption is that people prefer engaging in tasks that have higher subjective values than those that have lower subjective values.

This means that when one behavior is present, an individual is likely to choose behavior that when applied will yield success and value. This theory has proved to be handy in explaining social behaviors and in motivating people. It has also been useful in learning as students’ ability to want to be engaged in learning depends greatly on this theory. Wentzel and Wigfield (2009) in their book wrote that motivated learning behaviors are based on two parallel and related constructs: expectancy beliefs and subject tasks task values.

From this, the students’ expectancy of having achieved success is his or her beliefs about how well they said student thinks they will perform in activities that are coming. Individual differences come up in the extent to which a student perceives the utility of schoolwork to being a channel that is used to enact, academic and the career goal of a student. Bembenutty (2010) contends that the empirical evidence supports the premise that learners who are able to recognize the instrumentality of their current academic endeavors stand a greater chance than others of developing learning strategies, sustaining cognitions, and maintaining behaviors and positive effects.

Learners with healthy instrumentality are oriented toward goal attainment and, therefore, should be considered successful self-regulated learners. The theory also recognizes that an individual’s cultural contact in the history plays an enormous role in what people expect, value and how they behave. In this mode, social contacts are usually perceived and interpreted by individuals. Leung, Chiu, and Hong (2010), state that differences in strategic choices reflect cultural divergence in the prevalent cultural norms and values.

Naturally, the preferred self-enhancement means in a culture that emphasizes modesty, self-improvement, and harmony are marked differently from those in a culture that values self-assertiveness, directness, and individuality. The way these inputs are digested influences the way these inputs are digested in a way that influences the way an individual sees himself or herself. However, which intern influences and is influenced by the types of goals and expectations one has for the future. The goals, expectations and values result in behaviors.

For example, what tasks will I choose to participate at any given time and how hard and how long will I try? Individuals who do not see activities enmeshing well with one’s personal identity, one’s culturally defined rule or one’s goals tend to choose not to participate in it. Whether or not the activity is valuable for students’ academic or personal success is not the issue, the issue is what the student perceives as the value and the expectation of how likely one is to obtaining that value and the expectation; of how likely one is to obtaining the value is what matters.

The key idea here is to take each student’s perspective in designing task and think about how each one may answer these questions: Why should I do this? Am I able to do this? What will I gain if I succeed? What will it cost me if I fail? Expectancy value theory of motivation thrives well in achieving domains. An individual’s expectancy related values and beliefs would change from time to time, in relation to how the individual will relate to another, and in the process of predicting outcomes in terms of performance in an area.

Thus, one will use expectancy value theory when choosing an activity to pursue. References Bembenutty Hefer. (2010) Present and Future Goals: Perceived Instrumentality of School Work. Psychological Journal, Vol 7 No. 1 Pg. 2-3. Leung K. Angela, Chiu Chi-Yue and Hong Ying-Yi. (2010). Cultural Processes: A Social Psychological Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press. Vansteenkiste Martin, Lens Willy, Witt De Hans and Feather T.N. (2005). Understanding Unemployed People’s Job Search Behaviour, Unemployment Experience and Well Being. Vol. 44 Issue 2, p269-287, 19p, 2 Charts; Abstract Previous.

Wentzel R. Kathryn and Wigfield Allan. (2009). Handbook of Motivation At School. New York: Routledge.