Title
The effects of motivation on narrative content and structure
Date Issued
01 January 1999
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Georgesen J.C.
University of Kentucky
Publisher(s)
SAGE Publications Inc.
Abstract
This study examined the effects of motivation on the content and structure of narratives. Forty triads of participants engaged in a 15-minute teamwork task. Following this task, participants were given either positive or negative feedback on their performance. Participants were then separated and told to write a narrative concerning their experiences. Participants were given instructions designed to induce either a self-interest motivation or an accuracy motivation when creating the narratives. Results showed that participants experiencing a self-interest motive constructed narratives emphasizing the participants' positive contributions to the group task. Also, participants with a self-interest motive were more likely to emphasize self-related cognitions and actions. Narratives of accuracy-motivated participants included more details, were more focused on the consequences of actions, and had a tighter causal structure. Finally, feedback also affected both content and structure. Thus, motivation influences not just the content of a story but also how a story is constructed.
Start page
175
End page
195
Volume
18
Issue
2
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
LingĂ¼Ăstica
PsicologĂa
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-0033460637
Source
Journal of Language and Social Psychology
ISSN of the container
0261927X
Sources of information:
Directorio de ProducciĂ³n CientĂfica
Scopus