L17 - Choices, Autonomy, and Culture Flashcards
What were the findings of research done on the benefits of choice?
personalization and choice lead to higher motivation and performance
Describe Sarah P’s study on child intrinsic motivation and reading (2010)
She found that students who were given mandatory reading logs were less interested and had more negative attitudes towards recreational reading at the end of the two months in comparison to their peers who had been given voluntary reading logs
Describe Iyengar and Lepper’s findings on “the art of choosing” (1999)
Rethinking the value of choice: a cultural perspective on intrinsic motivation
america = individualistic culture in which people possess a model of themselves as fundamentally independent
- seek to express our internal attributes in order to demonstrate our uniqueness
- making a choice allows us to display our attributes and to show our uniqueness
east asia = collectivistic cultures in which people possess a model of themselves as essentially interdependent
- strive for interconnectedness and belongingness with their social groups
- choices are intended to maintain harmony and fulfill the wishes of those groups
Describe Iyengar and Lepper’s first study on culture and intrinsic motivation
100 4th-6th graders asked to work on anagram task
1/2 anglo-american, 1/2 asian american
6 topical categories: family, animals, san francisco, food, party, and house
15 anagrams in each pile arranged from easiest to most difficult
piles were pre-tested to assure equal difficulty
Study design
- 3 conditions
– personal choice
– experimenter choice
– mom’s choice
- Dependent variables:
– performance on anagrams
– free choice intrinsic motivation
Results
- asian american Ps performed better in the mom condition, even better than when anglo american Ps in the personal condition
- asian american Ps spent more time on anagrams during the free-choice period when their mom chose for them, and anglo american Ps spent more time when they got to pick for themselves
Describe Iyengar and Lepper’s second study on culture and intrinsic motivation
10-year-old children from anlgo or asian american families
Space Quest Math game used by Cordova and Lepper (1996)
Several incidental choices made in one of three ways
- personal choice
- in-group choice
- out-grou choice
Dependent variables:
- self-reported interest
- test-retest of knowledge of mathematical operations
Results
- anglo americans reported liking the game more when they got to choose for themselves and asian american Ps reported the same amount of liking the game but when members of their in-group got to choose for them
– both groups liked the game less when people from out-group chose for them
- anglo american Ps had more change in their correct performance in the personal choice condition and asian american Ps had more change in their correct performance in the in-group choice condition
– both groups had negative changes to their performance when an out-group member chose for them
What are the key findings of Iyengar and Lepper’s two studies?
- note experimenter choice results
- consider how Deci would interpret these findings
- Consider Asian and American issue
- Consider relationship with mother
- Would you consider allowing your mother to select your married partner?
- What do you think the chances are that you would be happy in a marriage arranged like this?
What can influence the impact of choice?
Although choice generally is associated with greater motivation, its impact may depend on the cultural background of the individual
What is Deci’s perspective on culture and autonomy?
- Autonomy is orthogonal with collectivistic vs. individualistic orientation
“For Mr. Sethi, though, the marriage wasn’t the inevitability that it had been for his immigrant parents. It was his own choice. And yet in making that choice, he was casting his lot with the traditional way of life, one that would bind him more closely to his parents and to India itself, and sustain that tie into yet another generation of American children - his own”
What does the issue of autonomy concern?
it concerns the extent to which one fully accepts, endorses, and stands behind one’s actions
What are the different categories of arranged marriages?
forced marriage
traditional arranged marriage
modern arranged marriage
modern arranged marriage with courtship
introduction only arranged marriage
What was an example given in class of a non-autonomous agreement with arranged marriage?
“While she had always known that should would be arranged she said she was shocked that it happened so soon (age 19), and threw a few tantrums. Eventually though she accepted it and has given up her plans of finishing her education; instead, she will follow her husband to London or India”
“I wish it didn’t have to be this way,” she said, “but I can’t really do anything about it”
Miss Rawat
CBC News Canada, The problem with arranged marriage
Azhar Haidri, a 23-year-old Pakistani man, gained national attention in October 2010 for his novel solution to a dilemma over wedding the woman he loves or going ahead with the marriage his family arranged. He married both women, Humaira Qasim, 28, and Rumana Aslam, 21, in Multan, within 24 hours
“The primary reason for arranged marriage still remains that many families want to secure wealth, property, and social status for their children”
Requirement: wheatish complexion
What is volition?
the power of using one’s will
early 17th century (denoting a decision or choice made after deliberation): from French, or from medieval Latin volitio(n-), from volo ‘I wish’
