Psychology of Motivation

Code:

P402

Acronym:

PM

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Psychology

Instance: 2013/2014 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	https://sigarra.up.pt/fpceup/pt/ucurr_geral.ficha_uc_view?pv_ocorrencia_id=333019
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master Psychology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIPSI	132	Official Curricular Structure	2	-	3	30	81
		Official Curricular Structure 2012	2	-	3	30	81

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

By the end of this curricular unit, the students should be able to:

- Understand the importance of motivation in the direction of behavior and in the dynamics of human action;

- Understand the reasons for the evolution of motivational theories through time and for their changes of perspective;

- Evidence updated knowledge in the domain of motivational theories, stressing the complementary nature of several sources of information;

- Analyze knowledge in a critical way, organizing and structuring it according to several levels of generality and of importance;

- Use several theoretical frameworks to analyze common problems in several life-contexts – school, work, family, leisure, and sport –, and to evaluate intervention proposals in the motivational domain;

- Integrate in their personal conceptions of behavior and action, relevant aspects of the different analyzed perspectives.

Learning outcomes and competences

Learning outcomes: (i) research; (ii) public speaking; (iii) collaboration and cooperation; (iv) diversity; and (v) literacy in the domain of psychology of motivation.

Competences: (i) to analyze and evaluate several types of published research on motivation in different life-contexts; (ii) to present formally and orally, in small groups, topics on motivation to the teacher and to the peers in the class; (iii) to participate and to collaborate in small groups in the planning and presentation of a subject on motivation; (iv) to analyze, to evaluate and to describe motivational differences among persons and groups, based on gender, social class, academic level, and culture, evidencing familiarity with the studies developed in other cultures; and (v) to evidence updated knowledge about motivational theories, defining and explaining terms and giving examples; using scientific reasoning to analyze problems in the motivational domain; to be able to collect and to evaluate information efficiently; to possess a solid vocabulary in the domain, and knowledge about basic psychological principles, using and applying motivational psychology to analyze daily-problems; to reflect about the reasons and motivations behind one's own and other's actions and behaviors.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Previous knowledge - not applicable.

Simultaneous knowledge - methodological and research knowledge in Psychology.

Program

0. Introduction to the study of motivation: Definition and evolution of the concept.

1. Theoretical frameworks and practical applications - Homeostatic theories (Hull and Lewin). - Expectation x Value theories: Need of Achievement theory (Atkinson and McClelland); Fear of Success theory (Horner); Anxiety in evaluation tasks - Cognitive and Sociocognitive theories of motivation: Social Learning theory (Rotter); Self-efficacy theory (Bandura); Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic motivation theory (Deci and Ryan); Attributional theory (Weiner); Personal Conceptions of Intelligence theory (Dweck). - Theories of Self: Self-concept and Self-esteem.

2. Impact of school and family socialization contexts in motivational development.

3. Conclusions: Evaluation and applicability of the theoretical frameworks to real situations in several life-contexts.

Mandatory literature

Dweck Carol S.; Self-theories. ISBN: 1-84169-024-4
Faria, L.; Motivação para a Competência. O papel das concepções pessoais de inteligência no desempenho e no sucesso, Livpsic/Legis Editora, 2008. ISBN: 978-989-8148-17-9
Marsh, H., Craven, R. G., & McInerney, D. M. (Eds.) ; International advances in self research, Information Age Publishing., 2003

Complementary Bibliography

Ciochină, L. & Faria, L. ; Inteligência e cultura. Do individualismo-colectivismo às concepções pessoais de inteligência, Livpsic/Legis Editora, 2011. ISBN: 978-989-8148-70-4
Fontaine, A. M.; Motivação em contexto escolar, Uniiversidade Aberta, 2005

Teaching methods and learning activities

Activities of contact: discussion of theories and empirical research and their utility in daily-life situations, with oral presentations by the students, in small group;

Open classes about on-going research, with previous organization of the debate;

Autonomous study: reading articles and texts on motivation to prepare the debate for the open-classes, with preparation of questions and reflections on the themes.

keywords

Social sciences > Psychological sciences > Psychology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Defesa pública de dissertação, de relatório de projeto ou estágio, ou de tese	30,00
Exame	70,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	30,00
Frequência das aulas	30,00
Trabalho de investigação	21,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

Considering the theoretical and practical nature of the classes, their attendance is compulsory: the students must be present and active during classes, assuring their good functioning.

Calculation formula of final grade

- Continuous evaluation of the work developed in the classes: several tasks to develop during classes, previously distributed and scheduled, with oral presentations of contents in small group (30% of the final grade, in a 0 to 20 points scale; the grade of each element of the group may be different according to each one's performance in the oral presentation); quality of the participation during classes.

- Final examination: 70% of the final grade (in a 0 to 20 points scale), including 8 questions of small answer, one of which is about the oral presentation;

-  Final evaluation resulting from the weighted-mean of all these parameters. The student should obtain a positive grade in each of the two forms of evaluation (oral presentation in small group and final examination) in order  to sum it all. The student accomplishes the curricular unit with a minimum final grade of 10 values (in a 0 to 20 points scale).

Examinations or Special Assignments

Oral presentations of contents by small groups. 

Participation in the preparation of the open-classes about on-going research in the motivational domain.

Final examination (individual).

Internship work/project

N/A

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students' evaluation follows the FPCEUP's regulation. The students must attend those classes where they are going to present oral contents in small group, and attend the open classes about the on-going research in the motivational domain, participating actively in their organization. Those students that benefit from special regimes (working students, ...) are advised to talk with the teacher at the beginning of the 2^nd semester.

Classification improvement

Expected only for the final individual examination (ponderation 70%).