Motivation and information processing in learning experiments

Abstract

First, we outline the lack of research interest for motivational intervening variables within the information processing tradition. A series of experiments within a large-scale research project is then briefly described in order to demonstrate the impact of motivational processes in simple learning experiments. The focus is on the effects of expecting various types of tests in memory tasks. The first three experiments look more closely at test expectancy effects on free recall, recognition accuracy and recognition reaction time. Experiments 4 and 5 extend the test expectancy findings to text learning as a function of the available study time. In Experiments 6 and 7, an attempt is made to investigate the organizing activities of the subjects in text learning as a function of test expectancies. A considerable number of interactions between the expectations of the learner and the characteristics of the learning material are obtained in all experiments. It is concluded that, by taking into account motivation, more justice in human behaviour is done to the density of cognitive processes involved and their complexity.