About this Assignment
So far in this course, you have learned that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can determine the outcome of completing a task. Thinking about the distinction between the two, you have also learned that each of these may be associated with life goals and outcomes, in general.
This literature review assignment will require you to find, analyze, and cite credible external research, which you will use again in your Psychology of Motivation Assignment at the end of the course. Success on this assignment will help to prepare you for success on the final assignment for this course.
Project Prompt
For this assignment, you will write a 750-1000-word literature review essay that analyzes and synthesizes the information about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how these may relate to life goals.
The information must come from credible sources that you will find online. Peer-reviewed articles are preferred. For this assignment, you will be expected to pick high-quality, credible sources and use your critical thinking skills in order to not only summarize, but also to apply the information in these sources to real-life contexts. As part of your literature review you will need to critique and analyze the sources you use and then finalize by condensing the information contained in them.
Introduction
Within the introduction, you will need to define extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and how they relate to real-life examples. That is, what are the effects of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on the pursuit of goals, for example?
Body Paragraphs
The body of your essay must focus on a critical review and summary of each of your sources. Here you will need to provide specific details related to how the study was conducted, such as the research methodology, the setting of the study, and who participated. Then, provide a longer summary of the results and main outcomes of each study.
Analysis & Conclusion
While details about each study should be included, in the last section of your literature review essay you also will need to condense the existing knowledge from your sources in order to provide a general view of the information you have obtained from those sources. Based on the information on your sources and course material, write about the relation between both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and life goals, in general. That is, what is the effect of being guided by intrinsic motivations in relation toward life goals? What is the effect of being guided by extrinsic motivations in relation toward life goals?
Provide a synthesis of the subject area that these studies are covering, as well as synthesize the implications from those findings and any further questions.
Citations
You must include a Works Cited section in APA style, as well as in-text citation throughout your literature review essay. This reference section does not count toward the 750-1000 word requirement.
Related Lessons
The following lessons from the course may help you with this assignment.
- What is Motivation? – Theories & Examples
- Intrinsic Motivation in Psychology: Definition, Examples & Factors
- Extrinsic Motivation in Psychology: Definition, Example & Types
- Using Archival Research & Secondary Records to Collect Social Research Data
- How Observational & Field Research Are Used to Collect Data
- Psychological Research Methods: Overview & Considerations
Formatting & Sources
Please write your paper in the APA format. As part of your research, you may refer to the course material for supporting evidence, but you must also use at least three credible, outside sources and cite them using APA format as well. Please include a mix of both primary and secondary sources, with at least one source from a scholarly peer-reviewed journal. If you use any Study.com lessons as sources, please also cite them in APA (including the lesson title and instructor’s name).
Primary sources are first-hand accounts such as interviews, advertisements, speeches, company documents, statements, and press releases published by the company in question.
Secondary sources come from peer-reviewed scholarly journals, such as the Journal of Management. You may use also use databases like JSTOR, Google Scholar, and Social Science Research Network to find articles from scholarly journals. Secondary sources may also come from reputable websites with .gov, .edu, or .org in the domain. (Wikipedia is not a reputable source, though the sources listed in Wikipedia articles may be acceptable.) These scholarly (i.e., journal articles) sources should represent your primary sources of evidence-based information in order to write your essay.
If you’re unsure about how to use APA format for your paper and sources, please see the following lessons:
If this is your first literature review or you’d like a refresher, please see the following lessons:
- Selecting a Problem to Research
- The Literature Review Process
- Finding & Evaluating Sources for Research
Grading Rubric
Your essay will be graded based on the following rubric:
| Category | Unacceptable (0-1) | Needs Improvement (2-3) | Good (4) | Excellent (5) | Total Possible Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thesis | Thesis is missing | Thesis lacks distinction between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations or is not well-researched | Thesis adequately states distinction between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations and research-based argument | Thesis clearly states distinction between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations and research-based argument | 5 |
| Sources | No sources were used (or sources were not credible) | One credible source was used | Two credible sources were used | Three credible sources were used | 5 |
| Synthesis | Information was not synthesized at all | An attempt at synthesizing information (including research methodology) was present, but most information was separate and disconnected | Most of the information was synthesized, although there is some information not fully integrated into answering the question about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation | All information (including research methodology) was strongly synthesized (information was clearly understood and condensed to make sense of the topic at hand) to fully answer the question about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation | 5 |
| Analysis (x2) | No research examples connected with real-world applications are used to support arguments; analysis is missing or incorrect | 1-2 research examples connected with real-world applications are given to support main points; analysis is shallow | 2-3 research examples connected with real-world are given to support most points, but not all; analysis lacks originality | 3+ main points are supported with research; analysis is original and insightful and clearly connected to the thesis | 10 |
| Mechanics | Incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, citations, and use of standard English grammar hinder understanding | Several errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, citations, and usage of standard English grammar | Few (2-3) errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, citations, and usage of standard English grammar | No or very few instances (0-1) of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, citations, and usage of standard English grammar | 5 |
| Total Points | 30 |
Before You Submit
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Written assignments should be completely original, free of any plagiarism, and properly cited. Plagiarizing your assignments may result in an automatic zero for your assignment or course grade, and the potential termination of your Study.com subscription.
We recommend proofreading your assignment and verifying that it’s completely original by using an online plagiarism checker such as PlagScan or Duplichecker to make sure that your assignment is not too similar to any existing materials.
