Chapter 7 Quiz: Motivation and Drive

Section A: Comprehension

1. Self-determination theory identifies three basic psychological needs. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

a) Autonomy b) Competence c) Achievement d) Relatedness

2. The "overjustification effect" refers to:

a) The tendency to over-explain one's reasons for doing something b) The undermining of intrinsic motivation that can result from providing external rewards for inherently interesting activities c) The decreased motivation that results from being given overly challenging goals d) The phenomenon where external feedback causes people to over-estimate their competence

3. Flow, according to Csikszentmihalyi, is most likely to occur when:

a) The task is easy and relaxing, providing relief from stress b) Strong external rewards are available for completing the task c) Challenge level is approximately matched to current skill level d) The task is performed alone, without social pressure

4. Deci and Ryan's SDT motivational spectrum lists these motivation types from most controlled to most autonomous. Which ordering is correct?

a) External → Introjected → Identified → Integrated → Intrinsic b) Intrinsic → Integrated → Identified → Introjected → External c) Amotivation → External → Introjected → Identified → Integrated d) External → Identified → Introjected → Integrated → Intrinsic

5. An implementation intention is best described as:

a) A list of goals organized by priority b) A specific "when-then" statement that links a situational cue to a specific behavior c) A commitment made publicly to increase accountability d) A visualization of successfully completing a goal

6. The Yerkes-Dodson law describes the relationship between:

a) Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation b) Goal difficulty and goal commitment c) Arousal level and task performance; the optimal arousal level varies by task complexity d) Reward frequency and behavioral reinforcement

7. Dopamine's primary role in motivation is most accurately described as:

a) Producing the pleasure experienced when a reward is received b) Driving anticipation and wanting, more than liking or pleasure itself c) Regulating the transition between approach and avoidance motivation d) Enhancing the encoding of motivationally significant memories

Section B: Application

8. Using SDT concepts, analyze Jordan's situation with the stalled business development proposal. What type of motivation does he likely have? Which of the three basic needs may be underserved? Design a motivational intervention drawing on SDT principles.

[Open response]

9. A manager tells you: "I'm having trouble getting my team motivated. I've tried giving them bonuses for hitting targets, but it seems to make things worse." Using SDT, explain what might be happening and suggest a different approach.

[Open response]

10. A student studying for exams asks for your advice. They have six hours and a pile of material to review. Using the chapter's concepts, design a study strategy that maximizes motivation, flow, and long-term retention.

[Open response — integration with Chapter 5 memory strategies encouraged]

Section C: Critical Thinking

11. Maslow's hierarchy of needs has been enormously influential despite limited empirical support for its hierarchical structure. Why do you think it persists? What does its persistence tell us about the difference between scientific validity and explanatory/narrative appeal? Is there value in frameworks that are heuristically useful even if not precisely accurate?

[Open response]

12. The chapter argues that procrastination is primarily a motivation and emotion regulation problem, not a time management problem. Critics argue that this framing lets people off the hook — that discipline and habit should override motivational deficits. Evaluate both positions. Is the motivational framing more accurate? Does it lead to better interventions? What does it risk?

[Open response]

13. Flow requires challenge-skill balance and absorbed attention — conditions that modern technology increasingly works against (constant notifications, variable ratio reward schedules in social media and games, fragmented attention spans). Does this suggest that flow is becoming less accessible for people embedded in digital environments? What would it take to preserve flow as a regular experience?

[Open response]

Section D: Integration

14. Connect motivation (Chapter 7) to emotion (Chapter 6) and cognitive bias (Chapter 4). Specifically: how might motivated reasoning (from Chapter 4) operate when a person is intrinsically motivated to believe their chosen work is meaningful, even when evidence suggests otherwise? Design a scenario illustrating the interaction.

[Open response]

Answer Key Overview

Full answers for Section A are in appendices/answers-to-selected.md.

Section A answers: 1-c, 2-b, 3-c, 4-c (a is also partially acceptable), 5-b, 6-c, 7-b