Managing Outcomes for Satisfaction

Abstract

What makes us either persist or lose interest in a goal and what makes us feel good about our accomplishments? For many years psychological research focused primarily on the effects of external consequences on behavior (rewards, punishments, and indifference) while educators tried valiantly to maintain a belief in the importance of intrinsic satisfactions of learning. Now, there is ample evidence to support both positions as being important to understanding why people are or are not satisfied with the consequences of their behaviors. These issues are the basis for this chapter’s focus on conditioning theory, interactions between extrinsic reinforcement, and cognitive evaluation as they relate to satisfaction and continuing motivation.