Motivation & Learning (DP IB Psychology): Revision Note

Here is an example of a Paper 3 source and a 6-mark SAQ using motivation (HL extension) in the Learning & Cognition context:

Source 3

Lepper (1973) investigated the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic learning with a group of nursery-age children from Stanford University nursery (an elite institution). Intrinsic motivation is that which spurs people on to engage in behaviours simply for the pleasure of the behaviour itself (i.e., the reward is built into the activity). Extrinsic motivation is that which offers some sort of material/tangible reward for engaging in the activity. The researchers selected a sample of children who enjoyed drawing. Over a period of three weeks the children were exposed to one of three conditions:

• Extrinsic reward: The child was offered a 'good player' certificate if they continued to keep drawing

• Unexpected reward: The child was unexpectedly offered a 'good player' certificate as a reward for drawing

• No reward: The children received no certificate or reward for drawing, nor did they expect any

The researchers returned after a two-week break and observed that the extrinsically motivated children spent less time drawing than children from the other two groups.

Q3: To what extent are the findings in source 3 transferable to other populations or contexts?

[6 marks]

Worked example:

The transferability of the findings is limited to some extent, as the sample was taken from Stanford University nursery, an elite college with a worldwide reputation. Children attending this nursery are likely to come from highly academic, privileged families who may not value extrinsic motivation as a tool for learning. The sample is not representative of the wider USA or families of different socio-economic and educational demographics.

An external reward imposes parameters on what should be a naturally reward-giving activity, i.e., it 'monetises' it to the extent that the enjoyment is taken away from it, reducing the desire to repeat the experience if 'nothing' is to be gained from doing so. This idea is transferable to a range of contexts, e.g., education, sport, and creative arts: extrinsic rewards may, in fact, reduce genuine enjoyment of the activity so that what was once a passion becomes simply a way of making money (e.g., the Youtuber Alisha Marie disowned her creative work after saying that she felt compromised and burnt out by the demands made on her).

Guidance

• The command term “To what extent” requires you to express a view/judgement on the merit, validity, or success of an argument or concept, supported by relevant evidence

• Points made about transferability could include:

  • How easily the findings can be transferred/generalised to other populations or situations/contexts

  • How easily understood or relatable the concepts, ideas and experiences covered in the data are to most people

  • How relevant the research appears to a modern audience/population

  • How well the researcher has explained their use of materials, procedure, method, data analysis, etc.