Introductory psychologyLesson 3 of 5 in the course Motivation and assessment

Expectancy Theory: Motivation, Applications, and Limitations

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Expectancy theory explains how people choose among possible actions by considering what they believe their effort will produce and how much they value the resulting outcome. Developed by Victor H. Vroom in 1964, it is especially useful for understanding motivation and decision-making at work.

Expectancy theory is a theory of motivation focused on the mental processes involved in choosing among alternative voluntary actions. A person does not simply respond to a reward. Before acting, they consider whether an action is likely to produce a performance result, whether that performance will lead to an outcome, and whether that outcome is desirable to them.

All flashcards

What does expectancy theory explain?
How people choose among actions based on beliefs about effort, performance, outcomes, and the value of those outcomes.
Expectancy (E→P)
A person's belief that effort can lead to the required level of performance.
Instrumentality (P→O)
A person's belief that achieving a performance expectation will lead to an outcome or reward.
Valence
The anticipated personal value of an outcome, which may be positive, neutral, or negative.
Motivational-force model
Motivational force is represented as MF=E×I×VMF = E \times I \times V, where EE is expectancy, II is instrumentality, and VV is valence.

Quiz questions

  1. Who developed expectancy theory in 1964?Answer: Victor H. Vroom
  2. Why can a very low expectancy, instrumentality, or valence substantially weaken motivational force?Answer: The three components are multiplied in the model.
  3. In the teacher-expectation process, how can students' behavior help confirm a teacher's initial expectation?Answer: Students may interpret treatment as a signal, accept the expectation, and behave in ways that confirm it.
  4. Why might a promotion have negative valence for an employee?Answer: Its demands, such as relocation or longer hours, may outweigh its benefits.
  5. What point does the example of an employee's mistaken belief about tax brackets illustrate?Answer: A person's perceptions can shape motivation even when those perceptions are mistaken.

Based on the Wikipedia article Expectancy theory, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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