MOTIVATION IN YOUNG CHILDREN

Motivation in Young Children

Motivation in Young Children

Abstract

Academic intrinsic motivation (AIM) is defined as the enjoyment of school learning characterized by a mastery orientation, curiosity, persistence, task endogeny (i.e., pleasure in and orientation toward learning and task involvement), and the learning of challenging, difficult, and novel tasks. To study the development of children's AIM, a psychometrically sound, published instrument was developed, called the Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (CAIMI), which divides AIM into four subject areas (reading, math, social studies, and science) as well as for school in general. Research employing this instrument, conducted within the Fullerton Longitudinal Study (FLS), is discussed as it has provided an empirical basis investigating the relationships between AIM and home environment. In addition, there has been other research on allied types of academic motivation indicating the importance of parents and the home environment; such findings are briefly described as well. This entry concludes with intervention suggestions based on the role of home environment in the development of children's AIM.

Introduction

AIM, as defined in the previous section, is based upon three theoretical foundations, each having important implications for the role of environment in its development. These include cognitive discrepancy, competence/mastery, and attribution.

Regarding cognitive discrepancy theories, intrinsic motivation is viewed as the result of encountering stimuli that do not match existing cognitive structures, thereby creating motivation to reduce this discrepancy. Stimuli and learning materials that produce cognitive discrepancy can be expected to produce intrinsic motivation in the form of curiosity or exploration. Such stimuli would include those that are novel, complex, incongruous, surprising, and experiential.

Competence/mastery theories of intrinsic motivation concern children's experience of effectiveness in interaction with their environment. Children seek to interact effectively with their environment, and to the extent that they experience mastery, intrinsic motivation is enhanced. Central to this theory is the child's sense of being in control, that is, being a causal agent or influencing the environment by producing successful and noticeable outcomes. Activities may be considered broadly, including play, interactions with toys, learning materials, or individuals such as parents, peers, or teachers. Experiences that enhance competence/mastery intrinsic motivation include responsiveness of play materials and the social environment, parental provision of effectance feedback (i.e., competency information) to the child, and availability of materials and activities at an optimal level of challenge relative to the child's developmental abilities.

Literature Critique

The attribution approach concerns the impact of extrinsic consequences for learning on intrinsic motivation. Provision of extrinsic consequences is external to the learning process and therefore not derived from learning per se. Such contingencies have important consequences for the development of intrinsic motivation because they affect the child's perception of the reasons for their engagement in an activity. If children perceive being engaged in an activity in order to receive an extrinsic consequence (e.g., money, toys), their focus of motivation is likely to shift from the process of learning to the receipt of the outcome. Hence, their sense of intrinsic motivation would be reduced. However, if the extrinsic consequence augments the child's sense of competence, ...