ABSTRACT

While considerable attention has been devoted to studying the effects of motivation on learning, it seems fair to say that the focus of this activity has been upon the energization that results when motivation increases. This has been the framework of classical drive theory (cf. Goulet, 1968; Spence & Spence, 1966). These studies have often been based upon the assumption that an increase in motivation will activate all responses in the subject’s habit hierarchy, with the expectation that high drive will hinder the performance of difficult tasks, while high drive will facilitate the performance of easy tasks. Such research has frequently used self-report anxiety as the index of motivation, as will also be the case here.