Woolfolk et al., Educational Psychology Answer Key Part 1

Woolfolk et al., Educational Psychology Motivation in Learning and Teaching Multiple Choice Questions 1) Which one of the following statements is the most accurate definition of motivation? A) An inner state that arouses, directs, and maintains a person's behaviour B) An inner state that causes a person to initiate an action C) The level of involvement a person has in a chosen activity D) The degree of persistence a person has toward completing an activity Answer: A Explanation: A) Motivation is usually defined as an inner state that arouses, directs, and maintains behaviour. It doesn't "cause" a particular behaviour, but creates the conditions that make certain behaviours more or less likely. 2) On Sunday afternoon, Rick spent a couple of hours picking up discarded bottles and cans from a picturesque section of the wildlife refuge, even though he knew he would not get paid anything for his efforts. Rick's motivation is best described as being A) attributed. B) deferred. C) extrinsic. D) intrinsic. Answer: D Explanation: D) Rick's motivation can best be described as intrinsic. He is picking up the bottles because doing so gives him an inner sense of satisfaction and not because it provides extrinsic rewards (e.g., the money). 3) Being interested in a task because the activity is enjoyable is what type of motivation? A) Extrinsic B) Intrinsic C) State D) Trait Answer: B Explanation: B) Intrinsic motivation occurs when we enjoy a task for the pleasure it brings, without the need for any special incentives (extrinsic reinforcements). State motivation is situational motivation. Trait motivation is relatively stable. 4) Ms. Riley tells the class, "If we have a good lesson on fractions, I will credit each of you with a bonus point." She is trying to stimulate what type of motivation? A) Extrinsic B) Intrinsic C) Stable D) Trait Answer: A Explanation: A) Ms. Riley is trying to stimulate extrinsic motivation by offering a special reward as an incentive for having a good lesson. Extrinsic reinforcement is based on external rewards; intrinsic is enjoying the activity without rewards. 5) Externally imposed reward systems seem particularly appropriate for students who are A) interested in the subject. B) intrinsically motivated. C) not interested in the subject. D) self-motivated. Answer: C Explanation: C) Individuals who are NOT interested in the subject being taught for its own sake lack intrinsic motivation. These students are likely to benefit from external or extrinsic motivation. 6) Which student’s behaviour appears to be motivated by internal locus of causality? A) Karla spends extra time in the lab in order to gain the attention of the lab assistant. B) Evan practices at the batting cage every day with the goal of being named most valuable player. C) Annie wants to play the piece flawlessly and enjoy the sound she creates with the piano. D) Dylan completes his homework as soon as he gets home from school in order to get privileges from his parents. Answer: C Explanation: C) The locus of causality for behaviour is the location of the cause— internal or external. Annie’s behaviour appears to be motivated by internal causes. 7) Ms. Jovanovic encourages her first graders to complete their reading assignment before lunch in order to receive a sticker. Which view of motivation influences her approach to the assignment? A) Sociocultural B) Cognitive C) Social cognitive D) Behavioural Answer: D Explanation: D) A behavioural view is based on extrinsic incentives, rewards, and punishments. Ms. Jovanovic is using stickers as reinforcers to reward the students’ behaviour. 8) The concept of self-determination is an important influence in what view of motivation? A) Behavioural B) Cognitive C) Humanistic D) Social learning Answer: C Explanation: C) The concept of self-determination is an important influence in the humanistic view of motivation. Emphasis is placed on people's inborn need to fulfill their potential. 9) According to behavioural theory of motivation, students are motivated primarily by a(n) A) desire for gaining fulfillment for their accomplishments. B) desire to gain reinforcers for their behaviour. C) inherent need to understand what they are learning. D) need for social recognition and status. Answer: B Explanation: B) According to behavioural theory, the primary motivation for students is a desire to gain reinforcers for their behaviour. 10) Participation in communities of practice is emphasized by what theory of motivation? A) Cognitive B) Humanistic C) Constructivist D) Sociocultural Answer: D Explanation: D) Sociocultural theory emphasizes participation in communities of practice as an important source of motivation. People engage in activities in order to maintain their identities and their interpersonal relations within their community, so the concept of identity is central in sociocultural views of motivation. 11) An "expectancy x value" theory would predict that motivation will necessarily be A) close to zero if self-efficacy is low, regardless of goal value. B) zero if either expectation to succeed or the perceived value of a goal is zero. C) zero if only expectation to succeed and the perceived value of a goal are zero. D) zero if self-efficacy and the perceived value of a goal are low. Answer: B Explanation: B) Motivation will be zero if either expectation to succeed or the perceived value of a goal is zero. This is because social cognitive theory views these variables as interrelated: Motivation = Expectancy X Perceived Value. 12) In expectancy x value theory, the two sources of motivation are A) projected future outcomes and the reaction of peers. B) social pressures and internal standards. C) social pressures and acquired standards. D) projected future outcomes and the value of goals. Answer: D Explanation: D) Expectancy x value theories view motivation as the product of projected future outcomes (the individual's expectations of reaching a goal) and the value of the goal. If either is zero, there will be no motivation to succeed. 13) Maria spent many hours trying to complete her geometry proofs. A cognitive interpretation of Maria's motivation is that Maria A) knows a good grade will result in a reward from her parents. B) is attempting to acquire understanding of how the different theorems work. C) is trying to feel fulfilled in her accomplishment in order to raise her self-esteem. D) wants her friends to be more likely to accept her than they have so far. Answer: B Explanation: B) Cognitive theories of motivation are concerned with the quest to learn and understand things. Cognitive theorists emphasize intrinsic motivation. In this case, Maria's behaviour in geometry would be explained as interest in understanding her theorems, not in obtaining recognition (social or behavioural theory), rewards (behavioural), or self-esteem (humanistic). 14) Doug's family is very poor, so he often goes to school with no breakfast and a very small lunch packet. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Doug is failing his classes because what type of needs are not being met? A) Aesthetic needs B) Deficiency needs C) Growth needs D) Self-actualization needs Answer: B Explanation: B) The scenario with Doug illustrates Maslow's deficiency needs. He is so poor that his focus is first on his hunger (deficiency need), and he has little or no motivation for learning because he is so hungry. 15) In Maslow’s hierarchy, what are the deficiency needs? A) Belonging, survival, self-esteem, self-actualization B) Survival, cognitive, belonging C) Survival, safety, belonging, self-esteem D) Belonging, cognitive, safety Answer: C Explanation: C) Maslow (1968) called the four lower-level needs—for survival, then safety, followed by belonging, and then self-esteem—deficiency needs. 16) In Maslow's hierarchy, self-esteem is considered to be what type of need? A) Being B) Deficiency C) Proficiency D) Self-actualization Answer: B Explanation: B) Self-esteem is considered a deficiency need in Maslow's hierarchy. Deficiency needs require intermittent gratification, but temporarily diminish when satisfied. In contrast, being needs are higher-level needs that involve continually striving for greater knowledge and understanding. 17) Each situation below represents a need in Maslow's hierarchy. Which of the following students demonstrates the most basic need that must be satisfied before any other? A) Anne is not included in the "in group" of her class. B) Dick wants to develop his artistic talents in music. C) Chuck has been threatened by a neighbourhood gang. D) Joy feels inferior but wants to be important. Answer: C Explanation: C) Chuck's being threatened by the gang involves his safety which is one of the most fundamental levels of Maslow’s hierarchy. That problem (need) would be attended to first before the needs implied by the other response choices, namely, belonging, aesthetic, and self-esteem needs, respectively. 18) Maslow's hierarchy of needs has been criticized because A) cognition plays a lesser role than the hierarchy acknowledges. B) people frequently attend to needs in different orders than the hierarchy predicts. C) survival needs receive too much emphasis relative to safety needs. D) the hierarchy overemphasizes the role of reinforcement as a motivator. Answer: B Explanation: B) A criticism of Maslow's hierarchy is that people often do not behave as the theory predicts. Specifically, different levels of needs are often attended to simultaneously or in varied orders depending on the person and the situation. 19) According to cognitive evaluation theory, which of the following classroom events is most likely to increase students’ intrinsic motivation to learn? A) Mrs. Hebert tells students they will receive demerits for talking during guided reading time. B) Mr. Pace gives students one more day to work on their reports and warns them they will be penalized for late work. C) Ms. Carlson writes the due date for science projects on the board and suggests that students transfer the information to their notebooks. D) Mr. Dixon informs students of the new guidelines for the essay and makes sure all students copy the guidelines into their notebooks. Answer: C Explanation: C) Ms. Carlson provides information that increases students’ competence without becoming controlling. Students need to perceive that they have autonomy. If an event provides information that increases the students’ sense of competence, then intrinsic motivation will increase 20) The type of learning goal that a person will be most motivated to reach is one that is A) general in nature and moderately difficult. B) general in nature and very difficult. C) specific and moderately difficult. D) specific and very difficult. Answer: C Explanation: C) According to your text, the type of goal that a person will be most motivated to reach is one that is specific and moderately difficult. A specific goal creates clear standards for performance; moderate difficulty goals provide challenge that is reasonable. 21) Students with performance goals as opposed to mastery goals are concerned primarily with A) achievement motivation. B) looking good in front of others. C) bettering themselves in terms of skill competencies. D) finishing tasks so that they can seek new challenges. Answer: B Explanation: B) Students who have performance goals want to look good in front of others. Thus, they are less concerned with what they learn than with how they appear. 22) Which one of the following quotes exemplifies a learning or mastery goal? A) "Accomplishing this should make me better prepared for Biology 101." B) "If I master this material, I can have some free time." C) "I'm going to go for the third assignment option, so that I can receive an A." D) "Jason will be impressed if I can learn this laboratory procedure." Answer: A Explanation: A) An example of a learning goal is "accomplishing this should make me better prepared for Biology 101." Learning goals emphasize learning for selfimprovement and to seek challenges. Extrinsic rewards and "looking good" are not as important. 23) Dennis often cons his best friends into letting him use one of their papers from last semester for his assignment in psychology this semester. In terms of goals, what type of learner does Dennis appear to be? A) Ego-involved B) Self-directed C) Task-involved D) Work-avoidant Answer: D Explanation: D) Students who are work-avoidant do as little as possible. By using someone else's paper, Dennis is evidently more concerned about avoiding work than learning. 24) The following teachers all assigned essay writing in their middle school English classes. Today they returned students’ papers. Based on the following information, which of these teachers is most likely to have students who are motivated to set and pursue learning goals in the classroom? A) Mr. Angelo returned the papers and complimented students on their essays. He said the class as a whole is submitting good work. B) Mrs. Dominguez returned the essays and told the class they needed to write another draft. She said she knew they could do better work. C) Mr. Lindsey returned students’ essays and said they lacked interest. He reminded students of the standard and said the essays fell short of his expectations. D) Ms. Compton returned the essays and asked students to compare this draft with their first draft to see how much progress they had made. Answer: D Explanation: D) One of the factors that makes goal setting in the classroom effective is feedback. In order to be motivated by a discrepancy between “where you are” and “where you want to be,” you must have an accurate sense of both your current status and how far you have to go. There is evidence that feedback emphasizing progress is the most effective. Ms. Compton emphasized progress by asking students to compare their first and second drafts. 25) An entity view of ability is consistent with what type of goals? A) Extrinsic B) Intrinsic C) Performance D) Work-avoidance Answer: C Explanation: C) An entity view of ability is consistent with performance goals. This view assumes that ability is stable and uncontrollable and, therefore, it cannot be changed. Given that you cannot change your ability through effort, you might as well look for situations in which you can perform effectively. 26) Which one of the following notions is consistent with the idea that "practice makes perfect"? A) Entity view of ability B) External locus of control C) Incremental view of ability D) Performance goals Answer: C Explanation: C) An incremental view of ability assumes that ability is unstable and controllable. Therefore, if individuals try hard, they can improve their achievement. This philosophy is consistent with the idea that "practice makes perfect." 27) According to attribution theory, students who see the causes of their failures as internal and controllable will react to those failures by A) assuming things will work out better in the future. B) berating themselves for their failure. C) exhibiting confusion and anxiety. D) finding strategies to succeed the next time. Answer: D Explanation: D) Attributing failure to internal and controllable causes is an adaptive mastery-oriented response. A typical reaction is finding strategies in order to succeed the next time. The key concept is that the individual believes that eliminating failure is under his/her own power. 28) According to attribution theory, feelings of high self-esteem such as pride are felt most strongly by those who attribute their successful actions to A) external causes. B) internal causes. C) stable causes. D) unstable causes. Answer: B Explanation: B) The internal/external locus seems to be closely related to feelings of selfesteem. When attributed to internal factors, pride and increased motivation are likely outcomes for those who have accomplished a task successfully. Internal attributions make the success or failure the responsibility of the individual, rather than the result of factors beyond his/her control. 29) Pat believes that the reason for her success in reading is the effort she puts into it. Pat is reflecting what type of locus of control? A) External B) Internal C) Stable D) Transitional Answer: B Explanation: B) An internal locus is characterized by the belief of being responsible for one's own fate. Attributions of success or failure to effort are consistent with that perception, and Pat is viewing her effort as the cause of her success. 30) Sara attributes failures to internal causes. Consequently, she is likely to blame her poor mark in science on her A) bad luck. B) lack of effort. C) parents' pressures to succeed. D) teacher's difficult tests. Answer: B Explanation: B) If Sara has an internal locus, she will look within herself and her behaviours for explanations of success or failure. Lack of effort might be one reason. She would be less likely to consider external factors such as test difficulty, parental pressures, or bad luck. 31) Anthony said, "I did well because I was lucky." The type of attribution being demonstrated is A) external-stable. B) external-unstable. C) internal -stable. D) internal-unstable. Answer: B Explanation: B) Students such as Anthony attribute their successes to external, unstable factors. Therefore, Anthony did not take any personal responsibility (internal attribution) for his success. He was just lucky. 32) Based on personal attributions of their success or failure, which student is most likely to be motivated to choose more difficult academic tasks in the future? A) Marla believes her failure in the chemistry lab was caused by her lack of preparation. B) Duke said he didn’t study for the algebra test. He said he’s just good at math. C) Camille said she made the highest grade because she was lucky enough to get the easier version of the test. D) Stan thinks he failed the literature test because he is not capable of understanding poetry. Answer: A Explanation: A) Feeling in control of your own learning seems to be related to choosing more difficult academic tasks, putting out more effort, using better strategies, and persisting longer in school work. Marla feels that her success or failure is in her control. She attributes failure to her own lack of preparation—something in her control. 33) Whenever Matt appears to be having difficulty in completing his science laboratory work, Ms. Butterfield quickly offers to help him and encourages him to continue working. According to Graham (1991), Ms. Butterfield's behaviour is likely to result in Matt developing A) an enhanced sense of self-efficacy. B) an incremental view of his ability. C) doubts about his ability. D) external-unstable attributions. Answer: C Explanation: C) Sandra Graham (1991) has suggested that when teachers respond to students' mistakes with pity, praise, or unsolicited help, the students are more likely to attribute their failure to an uncontrollable cause, such as lack of ability. The message to students like Matt is that their failures are outside of their control, so there is no reason to be held personally responsible. The result could be that he develops doubt about his abilities. 34) Students who demonstrate "learned helplessness" are most likely to A) believe that trying harder will improve their results. B) find ways to attribute their failures to others. C) focus on their failures and not seek assistance. D) set easier goals next time in order to increase their chances of success. Answer: C Explanation: C) Students who develop learned helplessness begin to believe that nothing can be done to help them succeed. Consequently, they will focus on their failures and not try to obtain help. 35) As need for achievement increases in spite of fear of failure, what type of student will be motivated to learn? A) Failure-accepting B) Failure-avoiding C) Mastery-oriented D) Socially-oriented Answer: C Explanation: C) The type of student whose motivation to achieve increases in spite of possible failure is said to be mastery-oriented. Mastery-oriented students accept new challenges and risks. 36) According to Covington and others, which one of the following would be the strongest indicator of whether an individual will be motivated to accept new challenges and risks? A) Desire to avoid failure and seek social acceptance B) Drive for achievement and an incremental view of ability C) Need for achievement and an entity view of ability D) Performance goals that are attainable Answer: B Explanation: B) The strongest indicator of whether an individual will be motivated to accept new challenges and risks is the individual's desire for achievement and an incremental view of his/her own ability. 37) Students who are mastery-oriented will tend to hold what view of their ability? A) Entity and stable B) Entity and improvable C) Incremental and improvable D) Incremental and stable Answer: C Explanation: C) Mastery-oriented students tend to hold an incremental view of ability that permits them to set moderately difficult objectives, take risks, and cope constructively with failure. Such individuals perform best in competitive situations, learn quickly, are self-confident and energetic, welcome concrete feedback, and are eager to succeed. They develop adaptive strategies in order to succeed. Failure-avoiding individuals employ self-defeating strategies, while failure-accepting individuals are likely to give up and depend on learned helplessness as the excuse for their failure. 38) Sally sets unrealistically high goals for herself but is unsure about her abilities. Which of the following terms is most applicable to Sally? A) Failure-accepting B) Failure-avoiding C) Mastery-elusive D) Mastery-oriented Answer: B Explanation: B) Failure-avoiding students such as Sally do not want to fail, so they select goals that are unrealistic. An example might be a C student setting a goal of scoring 95%, an overly high goal, on the physics exam. When the student does not attain it, no one can blame him/her. In contrast, failure-accepting students are resigned to failure and do not have a need to protect themselves from it. 39) What type of belief do failure-accepting students have? A) Expectation of failure B) Expectation of mastery C) High fear of failure D) Low fear of failure Answer: A Explanation: A) Failure-accepting students expect to fail. They typically have performance goals, an entity view of ability, and a susceptibility to learned helplessness. 40) Learning and information processing are influenced by reasoning and problem solving as well as by A) cold cognition. B) emotions. C) involvement. D) social interests. Answer: B Explanation: B) Learning and information processing are influenced by emotions as well as by reasoning and problem solving skills. Cold cognition refers to the reasoning and problem-solving aspects of learning and information processing, while hot cognition refers to the emotional aspects. 41) In order to increase positive achievement emotions and decrease boredom, a teacher should do all of the following EXCEPT A) match the challenge of tasks to the students’ skill levels. B) use performance goal orientation to encourage students to focus on the outcome. C) show enthusiasm for the subject and encourage students to enjoy working on the task. D) allow students to choose among several activities that focus on the lesson content. Answer: B Explanation: B) Using performance goals and focusing on the outcome would not increase positive achievement emotions. Teachers are more likely to increase positive achievement emotions and decrease boredom by using mastery goal orientation and getting students to focus on the learning rather than the outcome. 42) One model explaining the debilitating effects of anxiety on achievement proposes that it is A) attention being diverted from the learning task to a preoccupation with one's feelings. B) conditioning in which negative reinforcement obtained from withdrawing from tasks strengthens the anxiety syndrome. C) physiological arousal that limits bodily functioning to avoid the anxiety-producing situation. D) social effects such as embarrassment for appearing ill at ease or for being too boisterous. Answer: A Explanation: A) This interpretation stresses the cognitive viewpoint that anxiety interferes with information processing by diverting attention from the material to be learned to one's fears and feelings. Thus, a high-anxiety student has more information to process, with the learning material often given lower priority than his/her personal worries. 43) Ms. Castella instructs students to look for ways their writing has improved each grading period by comparing their recent best work to previous work. What aspect of the TARGET model is she using to increase student motivation to learn? A) Allowing unbound choices B) Authentic problem-based learning C) Cooperative goal structures D) Recognizing accomplishment Answer: D Explanation: D) Ms. Castella is recognizing accomplishment with this strategy. In the third TARGET area students should be recognized for improving on their own personal best, for tackling difficult tasks, for persistence, and for creativity—not just for performing better than others or finishing quickly