Unit 4 - Lesson 5 - Assignmnet

Research Scenario

A psychologist is studying how different learning environments affect student motivation and academic performance. Participants are college students enrolled in an introductory psychology course.

The students are randomly assigned to one of three study conditions before taking a challenging mock exam:

• Condition A: Students study in a quiet room with no time pressure and are told the exam is for practice only.

• Condition B: Students study in a moderately stimulating environment with background noise and are told the exam will count toward a small portion of their final grade.

• Condition C: Students study in a highly stimulating environment with loud noise, strict time limits, and are told the exam will strongly affect their final grade and academic standing.

After the exam, students report their stress levels, interest in the subject, and reasons for studying. The psychologist also measures exam performance.

Questions

(a)
Describe how students’ performance is likely to differ across the three conditions. Explain your answer using an appropriate psychological principle related to arousal and performance.

(b)
Some students in Condition A report difficulty staying focused because they feel “too relaxed,” while some students in Condition C report feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Identify and explain the motivational theory that best accounts for both of these reactions.

(c)
Several students in Condition B report that they studied partly because they enjoyed learning the material and partly because they wanted a good grade.
Explain how two different types of motivation are operating for these students.

(d)
After the exam, the psychologist offers money to students who scored in the top 10% for continuing to study psychology topics on their own. Several students who previously studied out of interest report a decrease in voluntary study afterward.
Identify the psychological concept illustrated by this finding and explain why this decrease occurs.