Psychology2016

Motivation and Emotion 367

Practice Quiz How much do you remember?

Pick the best answer.

1. If a person carries out a behavior to receive an outcome that is sep-
   arate from the person, this is known as
   a. intrinsic motivation. c. drive-reduction motivation.
   b. extrinsic motivation. d. instinctual motivation.


2. What motivational theory relies heavily on the concept of
   homeostasis?
   a. instinctual theory c. drive-reduction theory
   b. need for affiliation theory d. need for achievement theory


3. People high in the need for __ want to be liked by others
   and are good team players.
   a. achievement c. power
   b. affiliation d. emotion


4. In terms of arousal and task difficulty, easy tasks typically demand
   a __ level for optimal performance, whereas difficult tasks
   require a __ level.
   a. high–moderate; low–moderate
   b. low–moderate; high–moderate
   c. either a high or low; medium
   d. low; low
   5. In Maslow’s theory, how often do people reach a point of
   self-actualization?
   a. Most people reach a state of self-actualization before they reach
   adulthood.
   b. Most people reach a state of self-actualization as they finish
   adolescence.
   c. Seldom, although there are times in a person’s life when they are
   self-actualized at least temporarily.
   d. No one ever reaches the ultimate state. Our motivations express
   themselves in how we try to attain it.
   6. In Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory, what is the key
   to achieving one’s needs for autonomy, competence, and
   relatedness?
   a. an instinctual motivation
   b. support from others around you
   c. a motivation often driven by heredity
   d. a driving desire not to be a failure

APA Goal 2: Scientific Inquiry and

Critical Thinking: Cultural Differences

in the Use of Praise as a Motivator

Addresses APA Learning Objective 2.5: Incorporate sociocultural

factors in scientific inquiry.

In Western cultures, and particularly in the educational system of the United States, par-

ents and children have been told to praise their children’s achievements rather than using

too much negative feedback and criticism (Trumbull & Rothstein-Fisch, 2011). The thinking

behind this focus on positive reinforcement is that praise will boost a student’s self- esteem,

while excessive criticism will most likely do damage. In the individualistic culture of the

United States, this does appear to work very well. But when the students are from a differ-

ent cultural background, such as the more collectivistic Asian and Latin cultures, the story

is quite different. What is sauce for the goose, you might say, is not always sauce for the

gander.

In collectivistic cultures, it is more desirable to promote the welfare of the group rather

than the individual. Students from these cultures who are singled out to receive praise,

particularly in front of other classmates, may feel very uncomfortable to be “elevated”

above their classmates. Instead of having the effect of motivating them to succeed, such

praise might backfire, leading the student to underachieve so as to keep a lower profile,

so to speak (Geary, 2001; Markus & Kitayama, 1991; Rothstein-Fisch & Trumbull, 2008;

Trumbull & Rothstein-Fisch, 2011).

One study found that Latina students who were being taught English responded very

negatively to the abundant praise given to them by their tutor, having been made uncom-

fortable by the positive reinforcement rather than bolstered by it (Geary, 2001; Trumbull