Expectancy-Value Theory

Dovan Rai

Outline

• Background: motivational theories• Expectancy-Value theory• Developmental study• Group differences

– Gender– Ethnicity

Motivational theories

• Biological approach• Behavioristic approach• Cognitive approach

– Expectancy-value theory

Behavioristic approach vs. cognitive approach

Cognition

Stimuli response

BehaviorSocial World

Behavioristic Theory

Cognitive Theory

Social World Behavior

Rewards and punishment

Expectancy-value theory

Jacquelynne Eccles (1983)

Expectancy-value theory

Social World Achievement Behavior

Task Value

Expectancy

Cognition and beliefs

Expectancy-value theory

Social World Achievement Behavior

Task Value

Expectancy

Belief and judgment about capabilities to perform a task

successfully

Cognition and beliefs

Expectancy-value theory

Social World Achievement Behavior

Task Value

Expectancy

Belief and judgment about capabilities to perform a task

successfully

Relative attractiveness of succeeding or failing on a task

Cognition and beliefs

Expectancy-value theory

Social World Achievement Behavior

Task Value

Expectancy

Cognition and beliefs

1. Importance2. Interest3. Utility4. cost

Expectancy-value theory

Social World Achievement Behavior

Behavior

Task Value

Expectancy

Cognition and beliefs

Expectancy-value theory

Social World Achievement Behavior

Behavior

Task Value

Expectancy

B = f(E,V)

Cognition and beliefs

Expectancy-value theory

Social World Achievement Behavior

PerformanceEffort

EngagementChoice

Persistence

Task Value

Expectancy

Cognition and beliefs

B = f(E,V)

A personal example

Artist

High valueLow expectancy

A personal example

Engineer

High expectancyLow value

A personal example

Designer

Balance of Expectancy and value

Too simple function?

Social World Achievement Behavior

PerformanceEffort

EngagementChoice

Persistence

Task Value

Expectancy

Cognition and beliefs

B = f(E,V)

Let other parameters load

Social World Achievement Behavior

PerformanceEffort

EngagementChoice

Persistence

Task Value

Expectancy

Cognition and beliefs

Culture, social behaviors

Past events and performance

Perceptionand

interpretation

Expectancy-value theory

Social World Achievement Behavior

PerformanceEffort

EngagementChoice

Persistence

Task Value

Expectancy

Cognition and beliefs

Culture, social

behaviors

Past events and

performance

Perceptionand

interpretation

Affective memories

Expectancy-value theory

Social World Achievement Behavior

PerformanceEffort

EngagementChoice

Persistence

Task Value

Expectancy

Cognition and beliefs

Culture, social

behaviors

Past events and

performance

Perceptionand

interpretation

Affective memories

•Goals•Self-schemas•Perception of task difficulty

Expectancy-value theory

Social World Achievement Behavior

PerformanceEffort

EngagementChoice

Persistence

Task Value

Expectancy

Cognition and beliefs

Culture, social

behaviors

Past events and

performance

Perceptionand

interpretation

Affective memories

•Goals•Self-schemas•Perception of task difficulty

Expectancy-value theory

Social World Achievement Behavior

PerformanceEffort

EngagementChoice

Persistence

Task Value

Expectancy

Cognition and beliefs

Culture, social

behaviors

Past events and

performance

Perceptionand

interpretation

Affective memories

•Goals•Self-schemas•Perception of task difficulty

B = f(E,V)

Outline

• Background: motivational theories• Expectancy-Value theory• Developmental study• Group differences

– Gender– Ethnicity

Development study – Wigfield and Ecceles

• Change in children’s expectancy , value and achievement behavior

Development study

Empirical findings

• Competence beliefs and task values are distinct constructs even in early elementary students

(factor analysis)

• Competence belief and expectancy for success is less distinct

• Competence beliefs predict children’s subsequent grades beyond that predicted by their previous grades (structural equation modeling)

• Task values changes with age. Task value for math decreases along middle school.

Empirical validity of theoretical model

Factor analysis: finding latent nodes

I did not know that factor analysis is such a useful tool to make empirical validation of such theories and models.

One *cute* finding

• 4-5 year old children’s expectancies for success are quite optimistic

One *cute* finding

• 4-5 year old children’s expectancies for success are quite optimistic

(even if they repeatedly failed at the task)

One *cute* finding

Two explanations:Children’s expectancy may reflect the outcomethey like to achieve rather than the reality oftheir performance

Higher learning curve and higher optimismrealistic

Outline

• Background: motivational theories• Expectancy-Value theory• Developmental study• Group differences in expectation and values

– Gender– Ethnicity

Why there are few women in Computer Science?

Cognition and beliefs

Social factors

Genetic difference

Feminists

Why are there few women in Computer Science?

Cognition and beliefs

Social factors

Genetic difference

Feminists

Expectancy-value theory

Why are there few women in Computer Science?

Cognition and beliefs

Social factors

Genetic difference

Expectancy-value theory

IDENTITY

Why are there few women in Computer Science?

Cognition and beliefs

Social factors

Genetic difference

Expectancy-value theory

expectancy

value

Why are there few women in Computer Science?

Cognition and beliefs

Social factors

Genetic difference

Expectancy-value theory

expectancy

value

Feedback loop

Self-concept

performance

Feedback loop: chicken egg problem

Self-concept

performance

Social worldcompetence

Amy Chua paradigm (Joe Beck)

Self-concept

performance

Self-concept

performance

Helicopter mom Tiger mom

Ethnic differences in task values

African American students, compared to white students have poorer academic achievement and general economic disadvantage

Ethnic differences in task values

African American students have poorer academic achievement and general economic disadvantage

Hypothesis

They have lower expectancy for success and lower self-concept of ability.

Ethnic differences in task values

African American students have poorer academic achievement and general economic disadvantage

Studies

They have higher self-concept and higher expectancy.

Achievement <-> self-perception of ability

This link is not as strong in African American students as much as in Caucasians.

• Adaptive (high motivation to maintain engagement despite poor performance)

• Self-protective (protect their self esteem)• Poor judgment cause of poor performance• Different social comparison group

• Motivational dynamic can be different for African American students; their self-concept not strongly based on achievement as they would devalue academic achievement.

• Graham (1994) notes that these explanations are not suggested in the motivational literature.

• He suggests that rather than formulating a different psychology for minority student achievement, more minority students should be included in future motivation research and samples

Gender and ethnic differences

Caucasian African American

Hispanic American

BoysGirls

Nominate people they admired and respected

Gender and ethnic differences

Caucasian African American

Hispanic American

Boys High achievers Low achievers Low achieversGirls High achievers High achievers High achievers

Nominate people they admired and respected

Gender and ethnic differences

Caucasian African American

Hispanic American

Boys High achievers Low achievers Low achieversGirls High achievers High achievers High achievers

Nominate people they admired and respected

Devalue achievement

Stereotype threat

Questions and comments