Achievement motivation is the tendency to strive for success and to choose goal oriented success/failure activities. This site will guide you to a number of articles that discuss the characteristics of human motivation.
Motivation
According to research on the two types of motivation, we are more apt
to persevere, work harder, and produce higher quality work when motivation
for a task is intrinsic rather than extrinsic.
Motivational
Theory
Over the years behavioral scientists have observed that some people
have an intense need to achieve; others, perhaps the majority, do not seem
to be as concerned about achievement. Achievement motivated people take
the middle ground, preferring a moderate degree of risk because they feel
their efforts and abilities will probably influence the outcome.
David
McClelland, Psychologist
McClelland (1917-1998) is a Boston-based psychologist whose behavioral
science work has influenced three generations of organizational behavior
specialists. He is internationally acclaimed for his early work in measuring
human needs and motivation.
Goal
Orientations and Achievement
This paper examines the relationship between achievement and the three
motivation constructs of approaches to learning, attributional beliefs
and goal orientations in upper primary, high school and TAFE students.
Books
by David C. McClelland
This site provides information for buying books on McClelland's studies.
George
Elton Mayo
Mayo was in charge of certain experiments on human behavior carried
out at the Hawthorne Works of the General Electric Company in Chicago between
1924 and 1927. His research findings have contributed to organization development
in terms of human relations and motivation theory.
Academic
Achievement
Motivation is directly related to academic achievement making it a
very important aspect of instructional design.
Articles
on Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation
This site provides abstracts of several psychologists on motivation
studies.
Why
do people struggle with learning?
Lack of motivation is probably one of the biggest diseases in the learning
environment. A definite advantage is that there are ways of staying in
contact with your positive self. In nature, it's easier to be negative
and see things in a negative light, but a positive attitude creates success.
Success again will motivate you to reach more success - a snow ball effect
that will change your approach to learning and achieving good results.
Failure
of Extrinsic Motivation
One alternative to forcing children to memorize facts is to bribe them
to do it with prizes, candy, grades, and so on. Educational psychologists
call this "extrinsic motivation." Extrinsic motivation has been used in
some schools for years, although there is evidence to show that far from
encouraging learning, it actually undermines it.
April
Carter
PSY306 Educational Psychology
November 16, 1999