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Examining the Motivational Impact of Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Goal Framing and Autonomy‐Supportive Versus Internally Controlling Communication Style on Early Adolescents' Academic Achievement
Author(s) -
Vansteenkiste Maarten,
Simons Joke,
Lens Willy,
Soenens Bart,
Matos Lennia
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2005.00858.x
Subject(s) - psychology , attractiveness , framing (construction) , autonomy , developmental psychology , social psychology , conceptual framework , goal orientation , self determination theory , intrinsic motivation , engineering , philosophy , structural engineering , epistemology , political science , law , psychoanalysis
The present experimental research examined whether framing early adolescents' (11‐ to 12‐year‐olds) learning activity in terms of the attainment of an extrinsic (i.e., physical attractiveness) versus intrinsic (i.e., health) goal and communicating these different goal contents in an internally controlling versus autonomy‐supportive way affect performance. Both conceptual and rote learning were assessed. Three experimental field studies, 2 among obese and 1 among nonobese participants, confirmed the hypothesis that extrinsic goal framing and internal control undermine conceptual (but not rote) learning, even in comparison with a control group. Study 3 indicated that the positive effect of intrinsic goal framing on conceptual learning was mediated by task involvement, whereas the positive effect of autonomy‐supportive communication style on conceptual learning was mediated by relative autonomous motivation.