The Effects of Extrinsic Factors on Achievement-Oriented Behavior: A Non-Western Case

Abstract

It has been suggested that the Western conception of intrinsic motivation may be irrelevant among cultures which attach significance to group acceptance. To test this hypothesis, Filipino high school boys in Hawaii were asked to perform a task either in the presence of the experimenter or in anonymous privacy. Pretask instructions implied that striving to do well was highly desirable. As predicted, subjects in the public condition showed more achievement-oriented behavior (greater preference for a moderately difficult task). The results were discussed in terms of a distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and in terms of the effects of situational variables upon achievement-oriented behavior.

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