Week #18
Motivational Factors
and Attributions
Second Language Acquisition
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0. Outline
1. Defining motivation
2. Motivation and human needs
3. Learner orientations: integrative vs. instrumental
motivation
4. Learner orientations: intrinsic vs. extrinsic
motivation
5. The motivational grid
6. Resultative motivation
7. Attribution theory
8. Locus of control
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1. Defining motivation
MOTIVATION is thought of as:
" an inner drive, impulse, emotion, or desire
that moves one to a particular action
" the choices people make as to what
experiences or goals they will approach or
avoid, and the degree of effort they will
exert in that respect
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1. Defining motivation
In language-learning situations:
" the attitudes and affective states that
influence the degree of effort that learners
make to learn an L2
" the second strongest predictor of success in
the study of L2, after aptitude
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2. Motivation and human needs
Social psychologist Abraham Maslow
(1970) put forth the concept of a
hierarchy of basic human needs.
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2. Motivation and human needs
SELF-ACTUALIZATION
AESTHETIC
COGNITIVE
ESTEEM
BELONGINGNESS AND
LOVE
SAFETY
PHYSIOLOGICAL
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2. Motivation and human needs
Cognitive psychologist David Ausubel (1978)
identified six needs underlying the construct of
motivation:
" the need for exploration
" the need for manipulation
" the need for activity
" the need for stimulation
" the need for knowledge
" the need for ego enhancement
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2. Motivation and human needs
Methodologist H. Douglas Brown (2007)
believes that, like self-esteem, motivation
can be viewed as:
global situational task-oriented
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3. Integrative vs. instrumental
motivation
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Canadian
psychologist Robert C. Gardner proposed
a distinction between instrumental and
integrative orientations of the L2 learner.
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3. Integrative vs. instrumental
motivation
Instrumental motivation refers to a need to
acquire a language as a way to achieve
instrumental goals, such as:
" pursuing a professional career
" reading literature in the field
" translating
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3. Integrative vs. instrumental
motivation
Integrative motivation is activated when the
learner wants to get integrated with the L2
speech community and culture  to identify
himself with and become a part of that
social group.
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4. Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
Learners who study for their own self-
perceived needs and goals are intrinsically
oriented.
Learners who pursue a goal exclusively to
receive an external reward from someone
else are extrinsically oriented.
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5. The motivational grid
Motivational Taxonomy
INTRINSIC EXTRINSIC
Someone else wishes the
A L2 learner wishes to
L2 learner to know the L2
integrate with the L2
for integrative reasons
culture
(e.g., Japanese-American
(e.g., for immigration
parents send their children
or marriage)
to a Japanese language
school)
An external power wants
A L2 learner wishes to
the L2 learner to learn L2
achieve goals utilising
(e.g., a corporation sends
L2 (e.g., for a career)
a Japanese business
executive to the USA for
language training)
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6. Resultative motivation
Research indicates that motivation is the
cause of L2 achievement.
However, it is also possible that
motivation is the result of learning.
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7. Attribution theory
Attribution theory studies causes to
which learners assign their success
or failure.
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7. Attribution theory
Behind one's performance in L2
there are factors within one's
control as well as those beyond
one's control.
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7. Attribution theory
Attribution theory shows how
people make causal explanations
and what responses to questions
beginning with 'why' are given.
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7. Attribution theory
It accounts for the behavioral and
emotional consequences of those
explanations.
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7. Attribution theory
Individuals vary in the way they
attribute causes to events.
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7. Attribution theory
The four principal determinants of
success are:
ability
luck
task difficulty effort
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7. Attribution theory
These are analyzed in terms of:
stability and locus of control
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7. Attribution theory
ABILITY and TASK DIFFICULTY are
relatively unchangeable and are
therefore in the stability dimension.
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7. Attribution theory
In contrast, EFFORT and LUCK are
unstable and subject to
modification.
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8. Locus of control
LOCUS OF CONTROL
STABILITY Internal External
Task
Stable Ability
difficulty
Unstable Effort Luck
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8. Locus of control
Graham (1994) adds further
traditional attributions:
mood family background
help hindrance from others
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Thank you
for your attention
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