Year: 2009
Type: conference-paper
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Self-determination theory conceives of motivation as lying along an intrinsic-extrinsic continuum and has been investigated extensively in school learning, but less in performance domains.This paper investigates the ways that students manifest multiple motives for striving in the demanding field of musical performance.Performance examination candidates (n=677) aged 8-19 years completed questionnaires.Factor analysis produced five motives lying along the internal-external continuum.Cluster analysis then generated four groups of participants: (1) a group reporting high levels of internal motives and low levels of external motives, (2) a group reporting high levels of all five motives, (3) a group reporting low levels of internal motives and high levels of external motives, and (4) a group reporting low levels of all five motives.Results showed that both groups with high levels of internal motives achieved higher performance results than the two groups with low levels of internal motives.The high-external/low-internal group did not differ in performance achievement from the group reporting low levels of all motives.The study confirms prior research in suggesting that high levels of internalized motives can work together with high levels of external motives to produce excellent performance, but external motives alone are insufficient.
Authors: Gary E. McPherson, JM Renwick
Language: English
Subfield: Music
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W150629720