Ellen F. Potter

Impact of Developmental Factors on Motivating the School Achievement of Young Adolescents: Theory and Implications for Practice

Recent writing on school motivation has prescribed techniques to be used, but has failed to tailor such techniques to the developmental level of the young adolescent. This article addresses the following motivational techniques and indicates aspects of the developmental stage of early adolescence that are relevant to their application: (a) use of behavorist incentives; (b) evocation of facilitative expectations and causal attributions; (c) use of social incentives; (d) use of competition; and (e) enhancement of intrinsic motivation.

Relationship of Children's Social Desirability Response Tendencies to Their Expectations of Response to Achievement Behaviors in Classrooms.

AbstractThis study clarifies the relationship between children’s social desirability (CSD) response tendencies and their withdrawal from classroom achievement situations by investigating the effects of the child’s expectations of peer response. Data gathered included scores on the Children’s Social Desirability Scale, scores on an expectancy of response scale constructed for this study, and teacher ratings. Subjects were 120 third and fourth grade boys and girls. No differences were found between high and low scoring CSD subjects on expectancy of negative response. Paradoxical relationships between response expectancy, response history, and withdrawal from classroom achievement situations were found for high CSD but not low CSD subjects.