Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by limitations of social communication, limitations of social interaction and rigid patterns of activities and interests. Various studies have shown that children with ASD have a lower extrinsic motivation. They are less motivated to take action when someone is requesting to perform a task. Due to the lower extrinsic motivation, children with ASD are more dependent on the intrinsic motivation to accomplish a task successfully. The main question of this study: does a relationship between intrinsic motivation and the degree of ASD characteristics exist? The study was conducted on a sample of 32 children, six of them are diagnosed with ASD. Correlation analysis showed a significant relation between intrinsic motivation and the degree of ASD characteristics. In addition a significant relation between affective intrinsic motivation and degree of ASD characteristics were found. There was no significant relation found between instrumental intrinsic motivation and degree of ASD characteristics. The results of the present study are consistent with previous studies which suggested an association between intrinsic motivation and ASD characteristics. Further research about the development of intrinsic motivation for children with ASD is necessary, so that interventions can be aligned.
Author: Zwarts, Femke
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7010746476