When 15-year-old Valerie discovers that she earned an A on last week’s assignment, she expresses pride to her teacher and explains that she worked very hard on it. On the way home from school, however, she tells her friends that she didn’t put much effort into the project at all and so is quite surprised about her high grade. From the perspective of research on attributions and image management, how can we best explain Valerie’s conflicting statements?

Cognitive motivation theories focus on thought-mediated actions and influencing learning. They assume that behavior is directed by the active processing and interpretation of information.  Some factors that affect cognitive motivation include: Curiosity: Urges, drives, or motivations to explore and understand Disposition: One's general attitude toward learning Expectancy: One's expectations for the outcome of a situation  Other cognitive factors that influence motivation and the decisions people make about how to act include: goals, values, and efficacy beliefs.  Some forms of cognitive... Show more

Cognitive motivation theories focus on thought-mediated actions and influencing learning. They assume that behavior is directed by the active processing and interpretation of information. 

Some factors that affect cognitive motivation include:
Curiosity: Urges, drives, or motivations to explore and understand
Disposition: One's general attitude toward learning
Expectancy: One's expectations for the outcome of a situation 

Other cognitive factors that influence motivation and the decisions people make about how to act include: goals, values, and efficacy beliefs. 

Some forms of cognitive motivation include: Curiosity, Intrinsic motivation, Cognitive dissonance, and Achievement motivation. 
Social cognitive theory sees motivation and behavior as resulting from an ongoing, dynamic interaction among cognitive, social, and environmental variables. 

Related test: Human Learning Basics Practice Test: Motivation And Affect 

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