This report compares two approaches to incentive motivation in 82 college juniors and seniors, average age 21 years. One method uses will as a motivator; the other method focuses on skill or effective strategy use for enhancing recall and understanding of a particular body of information. In the first approach, a semiweekly test or spotquiz was…

The effects of working in groups (WIG), goal-setting, and a control condition on self-regulated performance were compared for 126 college students (prospective teachers at high, middle, and low self-efficacy levels). A strong interaction between performance condition and individual self-efficacy level surfaced. WIG only increased performance of…

This study compared high, moderate, and low procrastinators on their (1) frequency and nature of rationalizations to justify procrastination, (2) reported degree of self-regulation, and (3) grades in a web-based course with 216 performances, all with deadlines. One hundred and sixteen college students enrolled in a web-based "study…

Presents an entertaining look at changes in educational trends and attitudes. This humorous treatment compares and contrasts constructivist versus behaviorist learning approaches, intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, portfolio versus multiple choice testing, qualitative versus experimental research, and intuition versus logical reasoning. (SLW)

Two studies of influences on self-regulated performance were conducted. The purpose of the first was to determine if the level of performance of college students would be higher if the allowable length of the assignment was greater or smaller. Subjects were 126 education majors at a large state university participating in an extra-credit program…

Forty-one middle school students in two eighth-grade classes were taught half of their science chapters in the conventional manner with homework assignments, and half of their chapters by having short classroom quizzes on each unit. Quizzes were expected to stimulate incentive motivation as a mediator between a goal object, mastery, and the…