Harry L. Hom

A Methodological Note Time of Participation Effects on Intrinsic Motivation

This note reports two studies with college students that suggest time of participation (early versus later semester) is an important variable in intrinsic motivation research. In these studies, external constraints undermined interest levels of those subjects participating early but not of those later. This finding is discussed in light of current theorizing, and implications for future research are presented.

Influence of extrinsic and ego incentive value on persistence after failure and continuing motivation.

We examined the hypotheses that (a) extrinsic rewards avert attention from ego threat, enhancing persistence after failure: (b) performance impairment after failure is greater when tasks have high ego value; and (c) extrinsic rewards reduce ego concern and thereby enhance continuing motivation on high ego-involving tasks, but undermine continuing motivation on other tasks

Conceptions of Ability and the Interpretation of Praise, Blame, and Material Rewards

Abstract The authors assessed reactions to different levels of praise, blame, and reward received by two children who received the same test score among 79 students from the fourth, sixth, and eighth grades. Understanding of ability-as-capacity, that is, that higher effort implies lower ability when performance is constant, was also assessed. Being praised or rewarded and not being blamed led to lower ability evaluations among children who understood ability-as-capacity. Open-ended explanations indicated that children frequently believed that the usual or typical performance was lower for the praised, rewarded, or nonblamed children. These less favorable judgments often occurred without understanding ability-as-capacity. These findings suggest an alternate and less differentiated cognitive mechanism for the paradoxical effects of praise and blame. Older children showed an increasing preference to be like the nonpraised, nonrewarded, or blamed child. Implications for ego-involved motivation are discussed.

Low Need Achievers' Performance The Positive Impact of a Self-Determined Goal

The following study was designed to investigate individual differences in anagram performance using differential methods of goal setting. Subjects were 63 female college undergraduates who were divided into high and low need achievers. Goals for performance task were either assigned by the experimenter or determined by the subject. Low need achievers who received externally imposed goals performed more poorly on the task than did low need achievers with self-set goals or high need achievers with imposed goals. These results were discussed in regard to Lockes goal-setting theory and provide direction for future research in the area of individual differences in goal setting and performance.

Children's Task Interest and Performance Immediate Versus Subsequent Effects of Rewards

This study explored the effect of extrinsic reward on childrens task interest and performance. A total of 48 third-grade children participated in groups that differed in whether or not rewards were offered and the task used (mazes or block design). Each child participated twice. The baseline session was designed to assess initial nonreward levels. The experimental session, which occurred one week later, was identical except that half of the children received rewards for their participation. Results revealed that the effects of reward on subsequent intrinsic interest were found to vary as a function of the task. Lowered interest under reward conditions was found only for those children in the block design task. However, rewards were found to adversely affect immediate task performance on both tasks, supporting McGraws (1978) prediction model. Reward subjects also perceived the task to be of greater difficulty than did nonreward subjects. These findings suggest the effects of rewards on performance and interest are not directly related and that task characteristics, particularly perceptions of task difficulty, may be important mediators of reward effects.

Role of Hindsight Bias, Ethics, and Self-Other Judgments in Students’ Evaluation of an Animal Experiment

Does hindsight knowledge make research seem more ethical and predictable? In line with the notion of hindsight bias, students in 3 experiments knowing the outcome of an animal experiment judged the results as more foreseeable and ethical relative to students who did not know the outcome. Via self to other comparisons, students evaluate themselves more favorably compared to a peer but exhibited hindsight bias in doing so. Uniquely, the findings reveal the possibility that students deem themselves to be more skeptical and objective than their peers. Implications for teaching animal ethics and for Institutional Review Boards are discussed.

The role of fantasy figures in the regulation of young children's behavior: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and donations

Abstract The present study examined the influence of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny on childrens donations near the Easter season. Kindergarten and first-grade children were asked to tell stories about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or pets, for which they received nine pieces of gum. They were then encouraged to donate any amount of their gum to handicapped children. Main effects were found only for grade, with first-grade children donating significantly more than kindergarten children. In addition, a significant interaction was obtained between grade and type of story elicited from the child. This interaction revealed that for kindergarten children, the type of story failed to influence donations, whereas for first-grade children, stories referring to Santa Claus increased donations relative to stories told about the Easter Bunny or pets.

I Knew-It-All-Along, Just Not on My Own

Do the multiple steps of a math problem increase the likelihood of hindsight bias in students? It is a ubiquitious phenomenon whereby the outcome seems obvious. Students were randomly assigned either to a foresight group, in which they solved the multiple steps of a paired comparison t-test, or a hindsight group, in which they did not solve the steps of the paired comparison t-test but the correct answers were present. They were then asked to make chance and difficulty estimations for each step. Students in the hindsight condition believed they had a greater chance of a correct solution and that it was easier than foresight students. Teachers using the same instructive approach may foster hindsight bias in students and themselves and perhaps, the lecture format as well.