Rethinking the value of choice: A cultural perspective on intrinsic motivation.

Abstract

Conventional wisdom and decades of psychological research have linked the provision of choice to increased levels of intrinsic motivation, greater persistence, better performance, and higher satisfaction. This investigation examined the relevance and limitations of these findings for cultures in which individuals possess more interdependent models of the self. In 2 studies, personal choice generally enhanced motivation more for American independent selves than for Asian interdependent selves. In addition, Anglo American children showed less intrinsic motivation when choices were made for them by others than when they made their own choices, whether the others were authority figures or peers. In contrast, Asian American children proved most intrinsically motivated when choices were made for them by trusted authority figures or peers. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Cites (13)

1. Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation.
   Markus, Hazel R., Kitayama, Shinobu · 1991 · Psychological Review
2. Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement.
   Rotter, Julian B. · 1966 · Psychological Monographs: General and Applied
3. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind.
   Triandis, Harry C., Hofstede, Geert · 1993 · Administrative Science Quarterly
4. Social psychology of intergroup relations
   Tajfel, H · 1982 · Annual Review of Psychology
5. Illusion and well‐being: A social psychological perspective on mental health
   Taylor, Shelley E., Brown, Jonathon D. · 1988 · Psychological Bulletin
6. Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale and the structure of interpersonal closeness.
   Aron, Arthur, Aron, Elaine N., Smollan, Danny · 1992 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
7. The self and social behavior in differing cultural contexts.
   Triandis, Harry C. · 1989 · Psychological Review
8. Experiments in Intergroup Discrimination
   Tajfel, Henri · 1970 · Scientific American
9. Intrinsic motivation and the process of learning: Beneficial effects of contextualization, personalization, and choice.
   Cordova, Diana I., Lepper, Mark R. · 1996 · Journal of Educational Psychology
10. Culture and cause: American and Chinese attributions for social and physical events.
    Morris, Michael W., Peng, Kaiping · 1994 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Show all 13 references

Cited by (92)

1. The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior
   Deci, Edward L., Ryan, Richard M. · 2000 · Psychological Inquiry
2. The weirdest people in the world?
   Henrich, Joseph, Heine, Steven J., Norenzayan, Ara · 2010 · Behavioral and Brain Sciences
3. Basic psychological need satisfaction, need frustration, and need strength across four cultures
   Chen, Beiwen, Vansteenkiste, Maarten, Beyers, Wim, Boone, Liesbet, Deci, Edward L., Van der Kaap-Deeder, Jolene, Duriez, Bart, Lens, Willy, Matos, Lennia, Mouratidis, Athanasios et al. · 2015 · Motivation and Emotion
4. Motivating the Academically Unmotivated: A Critical Issue for the 21st Century
   Hidi, Suzanne, Harackiewicz, Judith M · 2000 · Review of Educational Research
5. Self‐Regulation and the Problem of Human Autonomy: Does Psychology Need Choice, Self‐Determination, and Will?
   Ryan, Richard M., Deci, Edward L. · 2006 · Journal of Personality

See all 1,513