Differential Effects of Praise Types

Sixty-two male Caucasian undergraduate Psychology students were randomly divided into four treatment groups wherein they all performed an identical task under the direction of a supervisor. The supervisor dispensed either non-evaluative verbal feedback, Structured Praise, Considerate Praise, or a combination of Structured and Considerate Praise to subjects in treatment conditions one through four respectively. Considerate praise is characterized as aperiodic, unlinked (to the giving of a formal performance appraisal), informal (not required by the system ), spontaneous, generally unwritten, from the heart type praise while structured praise is essentially just the opposite. The dependent variables of task quantity, task quality, task error rate, supervisor initiating structure scores and supervisor consideration scores were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance with harmonic mean solution. The major research hypotheses postulated that subjects in condition four, the combined praise system, would perform significantly better on the dependent variables of quantity, quality, and error rate, and rate their supervisor significantly higher on initiating structure and consideration. Analysis led to the rejection of all of these hypotheses. It appeared, however, that the two types of praise differentially effect subjects\u27 perceptions and attitudes regarding their supervisor. Although there were no statistically significant behavior differences found between conditions, those subjects who received Considerate Praise rated their supervisor significantly more considerate than did subjects in condition one (non-evaluative verbal feedback). The major finding of the present research seems to be that while supervisors who dispensed either type of praise or their combination were seen as maintaining definite standards, only the supervisor who dispensed Considerate Praise was also seen as doing little things to make it pleasant to be a member of the work group. The practical ramifications of the use of Considerate Praise are discussed. Suggestions for future research are recommended

Understanding the motivational factors of dining out: A study at Fatih Kadinlar Bazaar in Istanbul

The purpose of this study is to determine the dining out motivations in the scope of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory and Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory. In addition, it has been aimed to identify whether there is a link between the motivation factors to dining out and demographic factors, the distance to the residential location. A survey has been conducted with people dining out at restaurants at Fatih Kadınlar Bazaar in Istanbul. In total, 304 valid responds have been collected. As a result, in the scope of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory and Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory, the motivation factors for the people who dine out at local restaurants in Fatih Kadınlar Bazaar for both theories are socializing, status and self-actualization. It has been found that basic motivations explaining dining out phenomenon for both theories are more likely to satisfy psychological needs rather than physical needs

Designing Engaging Learning Experiences in Programming

In this paper we describe work to investigate the creation of engaging programming learning experiences. Background research informed the design of four fieldwork studies to explore how programming tasks could be framed to motivate learners. Our empirical findings from these four field studies are summarized here, with a particular focus upon one – Whack a Mole – which compared the use of a physical interface with the use of a screen-based equivalent interface to obtain insights into what made for an engaging learning experience. Emotions reported by two sets of participant undergraduate students were analyzed, identifying the links between the emotions experienced during programming and their origin. Evidence was collected of the very positive emotions experienced by learners programming with a physical interface (Arduino) in comparison with a similar program developed using a screen-based equivalent interface. A follow-up study provided further evidence of the motivation of personalized design of programming tangible physical artefacts. Collating all the evidence led to the design of a set of ‘Learning Dimensions’ which may provide educators with insights to support key design decisions for the creation of engaging programming learning experiences

Peloton as a Facilitator of Hope: Pathways to Initiate and Sustain Behaviors that Enhance Well-being

Many individuals wish to change, but struggle to act. The field of positive psychology has advanced the study of well-being, identifying interventions and measurements to enhance the experience of positive emotion and human flourishing. However, identifying pathways to initiate and sustain engagement with these resources remains a critical need for individuals and communities to implement the science of well-being effectively. The following exploratory study examines the user experience of Peloton, an at-home exercise bike that live streams class content, as an opportunity to identify the pathways that initiate and sustain engagement in positive behavior change. A self-report survey of 104 Peloton users is analyzed using Grounded Theory along with a literature review of positive psychology, and performance psychology. Through the analysis, the PERMA well-being framework (Seligman, 2011) and hope (Snyder, 1994) emerge as key theories to facilitate pathways to initiate and sustain users in activity that enhances well-being. A framework and discussion for future directions is proposed emphasizing convenience and pathways of synchronous and asynchronous agency and connection

Intrinsic Motivators for People Serving Adults with Disabilities

The revolving door of staff and supervisors serving adults with disabilities distresses not only the agencies serving these individuals, but the clients, the economic well-being of the agency, the financial pockets of the state, and on the morale of the staff left behind. This qualitative research project analyzed expert thoughts and opinions from nine professionals currently or recently working in the field of adults with disabilities alongside a literature review. The results of the research depicted that for most professionals intrinsic incentives would enhance staff retention when they are being extrinsically compensated for their work. Based on the results of this study more needs to be done at the state level to increase the funding for staff and supervisors serving adults with disabilities which may increase staff retention and effectively cost agencies and the state less money