Cognitive Evaluation Theory, Individual Effects on Motivation

What is the focus of personality psychology?

The focus is on how individual differences affect our thoughts, our feelings, our behavior,

The causality orientations are a function of...

They are a function of exposure to different environments over the course of development Autonomy orientation people were likely exposed to need supportive environment Controlled orientation likely exposed to controlling environments Impersonal likely exposed to amotivating environments

Focus of Causality Orientations Theory

To predict motivational outcomes as a function of personality dimensions/ individual differences

Outcomes associated with informational internal events

We experience behavioral persistence We maintain our sense of autonomy and our experience of intrinsic motivation We experience high quality of behavioral performance We experience positive emotions (interest, excitement)

Different levels of analysis: Motivation states - Amotivated State

We lack the psychological energy to regulate our behavior and emotions Lack experiences of intentionality and competence You feel overwhelmed

Outcomes associated with Amotivating/Disregulating Internal Events

You do nothing, experience passivity If you behave you behave in a half-hearted way

Component of Controlling Internal Events: Objective Self-awareness

You view yourself the way you think others view you, you view yourself as an object There is a separation between the person and the self. we encourage the person to push around the self as an object of control and manipulation There is a sense of unhappiness, pressure, anxiety

Component of Controlling Internal Events: Ego involvement

Your self worth is a function of your performance Arose from social psychology

Component of Controlling Internal Events: Contingent Self-esteem

Your sense of self worth depends on how you do on an outcome of some external to you Arose from personality psychology

Causality Orientations Theory: 3 different types of orientation

Autonomy Causality Orientation Controlled Causality Orientation Impersonal Causality Orientation

Different levels of analysis: Social Contexts

Autonomy Supportive Controlling Amotivating

What is involved in informational internal events?

Choice Acknowledgement of one's own feelings

What is involved in controlling internal events?

Ego involvement Contingent self-esteem Objective self-awareness

Social and personality factors predicting motivation

Events/ social contexts that are informational as well as the autonomy causality orientation facilitate self-determined/autonomous motivation Events/social contexts that are controlling as well as the controlling causality orientation facilitate controlled motivation Events/social contexts that are amotivating as well as the impersonal causality orientation facilitate amotivation

Causality Orientations: Autonomy Causality Orientation - Components

Experience choice and flexibility within ourselves Volitional action through reflective self-endorsement Outcomes involve positive relationship to self-esteem and ego development. Engage the world in an active, interested way

Causality Orientations: Controlling Causality Orientation - Compenents

Experience pressure and internal rigidity Outcomes involve there being a rift between who we are and our behavior Positive correlation with Type A personalities, Achievement oriented people Positive correlation with objective self-awareness Negative relation with ego development and self-actualization. We don't allow ourselves to grow, there is a pressure to live a certain way Positive relation with social anxiety

Causality Orientations: Impersonal Causality Orientation - Compenents

General lack of intention and feeling of ineffectiveness Positive relation with self derogation Positive relation with eating disorders Positive relation with social anxiety Negatively associated with self-esteem, ego development, and actualization

What are some examples of relevant research in social psychology?

How rewards undermine intrinsic motivation and in terror management theory how awareness of mortality affects us

Causality Orientations Theory

Individual differences in motivational orientations exist and we can begin to conceptualize people and their personality as an individual difference in their motivation orientation

Different levels of analysis: Specific Events

Informational Controlling Amotivating

What are the three types of internal events

Informational internal events Controlling internal events Amotivating internal events/internally disregulating events

Internal initiating events why do they matter?

Internal events are the most proximal initiating events in behavior Behavior is often initiated by thoughts and feelings rather than by specific external events in the environment

What is the focus of social psychology?

It focuses on how the social environment affects our thoughts, our feelings, our behavior, and our motivation.

Which is easier to identify how others control you? or to identify how you control yourself?

It is easier to identify how others control us it is harder to identify how we control ourselves

Different levels of analysis

Motivation States Specific Events Social Contexts

Relationship between Motivation states, specific events, and social contexts

Motivation states are affected by specific events Motivation states are also affected by social contexts

Different levels of analysis: Motivation States

Self-determined Controlled Amotivated

What is involved in Amotivating/Disregulating Internal Events

Self-disparagement

Some ways in which you control yourself

Set high standards for yourself compare yourself to others

What are some examples of relevant research in personality psychology?

Some people having an autonomy -causality orientation and these people are less likely to have their motivation undermined In terrorr management those who are more aware react less defensive towards mortality salience

How often do you behave in direct response to a specific external event?

Sometimes but not too often much more of the time the behavior, feelings, and thoughts are a result of internal processes going on inside of you.