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Locus of control describes how individuals perceive the causes of events in their lives, influencing motivation and well-being. Introduced by Julian Rotter in 1954, it is categorized into internal and external locus of control.Internal Locus of ControlIndividuals with an internal locus of control believe their actions determine outcomes, fostering responsibility, self-efficacy, and motivation. For example, an employee may attribute career success to hard work. Research links this mindset to...
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Force and Position Control in Humans - The Role of Augmented Feedback
06:31

Force and Position Control in Humans - The Role of Augmented Feedback

Published on: June 19, 2016

Motivation from control.

Baruch Eitam1, Patrick M Kennedy, E Tory Higgins

  • 1Psychology Department, University of Haifa, 7080 Rabin Complex, 31905, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel. beitam@psy.haifa.ac.il

Experimental Brain Research
|January 5, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human motivation is enhanced by a sense of control over actions and their outcomes, not just outcome feedback alone. This control feedback boosts motivation even with minor environmental effects.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Economics

Background:

  • Human motivation is primarily understood as being sensitive to the value of action outcomes.
  • Individuals expend resources to achieve desired results or avoid negative ones, relying on outcome feedback.
  • Existing research highlights motivation's sensitivity to performance standing relative to outcome attainment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and provide evidence for a novel motivational sensitivity: sensitivity to environmental control.
  • To investigate the impact of 'control feedback' on human motivation.
  • To differentiate the effects of control feedback from outcome feedback on motivation.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental design involving participants performing tasks with varying degrees of perceptual control.
  • Manipulation of action-contingent perceptual effects, ranging from trivial to constant.
  • Assessment of participant motivation through performance metrics and subjective reports.

Main Results:

  • Participant motivation was significantly enhanced when actions produced even trivial, constant perceptual effects.
  • Increased motivation was not attributable to the availability of more task performance information.
  • Motivation was elevated specifically under conditions where a firm sense of control could be established.

Conclusions:

  • Humans possess a distinct motivational sensitivity to the degree of control they exert over their environment.
  • Control feedback, independent of outcome feedback, can enhance motivation.
  • Understanding control sensitivity may have implications for motivation, mental, and physical health.