Experimental Investigation of Goal Framing Effect on Motivation Quality among Undergraduates

Goal framing of a classroom task is important to give students future orientation. An independent group design experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of goal framing (intrinsic and extrinsic, as delineated in Self Determination Theory) of a reading activity on the motivation quality of university students. One hundred and ninety-three students (Mean age= 20.92, SD= 1.512) from six Psychology classes participated in the study through purposive sampling. Five teachers teaching in the Department of Psychology at Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, Karachi manipulated the conditions in their respective classes. Students received instructions on intrinsic, extrinsic, or no goal framing, read a text, and answered the adapted Situational Motivational Scale. The scale assessed their autonomous and controlled motivation and amotivation. ANOVA results showed no significant differences in autonomous motivation among the three framing conditions, whereas controlled motivation was higher in extrinsic framing than in no framing. Amotivation was higher in intrinsic framing and no framing than in extrinsic framing. This implies that extrinsic framing may help reduce amotivation among students and may not harm their academics in collectivist or developing societies. The findings contrast with those demonstrated in developed and Western contexts pointing towards a need for further exploration.