Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-9pm4c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T12:09:31.059Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

8 - Motivating Self-Regulated Problem Solvers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Barry J. Zimmerman  and
Magda Campillo
Edited by
Janet E. Davidson  and
Robert J. Sternberg
Barry J. Zimmerman
Affiliation:
Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York
Magda Campillo
Affiliation:
Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York
Janet E. Davidson
Affiliation:
Lewis and Clark College, Portland
Robert J. Sternberg
Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut
Get access

Summary

Solving a complex problem requires more than mere knowledge; it requires the motivation and personal resourcefulness to undertake the challenge and persist until a solution is reached. Classical theories of problem solving have emphasized the role of discovery or illumination as a primary motive to learn, but contemporary research has uncovered an array of highly predictive task- and performance-related motivational beliefs, such as self-efficacy, outcome expectations, intrinsic task interest, and learning goal orientations. Unlike trait motivational constructs, such as the need for achievement, these motivational beliefs change during the course of problem solving, and a complete account of their role must describe their interrelation with metacognitive and motor learning processes. Self-regulation models of learning and performance have integrated metacognitive, motoric, and motivational aspects of problem solving within a cyclical structure. We discuss how these task- and performance-related motivational beliefs instigate problem-solving efforts, and reciprocally how these beliefs are modified based on the outcomes of self-regulated solution efforts.

This chapter begins with a description of the difficulties of problem solving in formal and informal contexts, with particular focus on motivational beliefs and associated behavioral processes. The limited conceptions of problem solving derived from research in formal contexts are discussed, and the need to broaden these conceptions to explain problem solving in informal contexts is emphasized. Methods of problem solving used by experts and their high levels of motivation are described, and a model of self-regulated problem solving is presented that cyclically integrates numerous motivation beliefs and self-regulatory processes.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Psychology of Problem Solving , pp. 233 - 262
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ames, C. (1992). Classrooms: Goals, structures and student motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84(3), 261–271CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bandura, A. (1991). Self-regulation of motivation through anticipatory and self-reactive mechanisms. In R. A. Dienstbier (Ed.), Perspectives on motivation: Nebraska symposium on motivation (Vol. 38, pp. 69–164). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W. H. Freeman
Bandura, A., & Cervone, D. (1986). Differential engagement of self-reactive influences in cognitive motivation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 38, 92–113CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bandura, A., & Schunk, D. H. (1981). Cultivating competence, self-efficacy, and intrinsic interest through proximal self-motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 586–598CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bloom, B. S. (1985). Developing talent in young people. New York: Ballantine Books
Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18, 32–42CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruning, R. H., Schraw, G. J., & Ronning, R. R. (1995). Cognitive psychology and instruction (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill
Carver, C. S., & Scheier, M. F. (2000). On the structure of behavioral self-regulation. In M. Boekaerts, P. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Self-regulation: Theory, research, and applications (pp. 42–84). Orlando, FL: Academic PressCrossRef
Chase, W. G., & Simon, H. A. (1973). Perception in chess. Cognitive Psychology, 4, 55–81CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chi, M. T. H., Glaser, R., & Rees, E. (1982). Expertise in problem solving. In R. J. Sternberg (Ed.), Advances in psychology of human intelligence (Vol. 1, pp. 7–75). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Cleary, T. J., & Zimmerman, B. J. (2001). Self-regulation differences during athletic practice by experts, non-experts, and novices. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 13, 185–206CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deci, E. L. (1975). Intrinsic motivation. New York: Plenum
De Corte, E., Verschaffel, L., & Op ‘T Eyne, P. (2000). Self-regulation: A characteristic and goal of mathematics education. In M. Boekaerts, P. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Self-regulation: Theory, research, and applications (pp. 687–726). Orlando, FL: Academic PressCrossRef
Dweck, C. S. (1988). Motivational processes affecting learning. American Psychologist, 41, 1040–1048CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elstein, A. S., Shulman, L. S., & Sprafka, S. A. (1978). Medical problem solving. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
Ericsson, K. A., & Charnes, N. (1994). Expert performance: Its structure and acquisition. American Psychologist, 49, 725–747CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ericsson, A. K., Lehman, A. C. (1996). Expert and exceptional performance: Evidence of maximal adaptation to task constraints. Annual Review of Psychology, 47, 273–305CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evensen, D. H., & Hmelo, C. E. (Eds.). (2000). Problem-based learning: A research perspective on learning interactions. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates
Garcia, T., & Pintrich, P. R. (1994). Regulating motivation and cognition in the classroom: The role of self-schemas and self-regulatory strategies. In D. H. Schunk & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.), Self-regulation of learning and performance: Issues and educational applications (pp. 127–53). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum
Garfield, C. A., & Bennett, Z. H. (1985). Peak performance: Mental training techniques of the world's greatest athletes. New York: Warner Books
Gick, M. L., & Holyoak, K. J. (1980). Analogical problem solving. Cognitive Psychology, 12, 306–355CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gick, M. L., & Holyoak, K. J. (1983). Schema induction and analogical transfer. Cognitive Psychology, 15, 1–38CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitsantas, A., Zimmerman, B. J., & Cleary, T. (2000). The role of observation and emulation in the development of athletic self-regulation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 241–250Google Scholar
Kuhl, J. (1985). Volitional mediators of cognitive behavior consistency: Self-regulatory processes and action versus state orientation. In J. Kuhl & J. Beckman (Eds.), Action control (pp. 101–128). New York: Springer
Langer, E. (1989). Mindfulness. Reading, MA: Perseus Books
Lepper, M. R., & Hodell, M. (1989). Intrinsic motivation in the classroom. In C. Ames & R. Ames (Eds.), Research on motivation in education (Vol. 3, pp. 255–296). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting and task performance. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall
Loehr, J. E. (1991). The mental game. New York: Penguin Books
Lundeberg, M. A. (1987). Metacognitive aspects of reading comprehension: Studying understanding in legal case analysis. Reading Research Quarterly, 22, 407–432CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mach, E. (1988). Great contemporary pianists speak for themselves. Dover Books: Toronto, Canada
Mayer, R. E. (1992). Thinking, problem solving, cognition (2nd ed.). New York: W. H. Freeman
Mayer, R. E. (1998). Cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational aspects of problem solving. Instructional Science, 26, 49–63CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McClelland, D., Atkinson, J. W., Clarke, R. A., & Lowell, E. L. (1953). The achievement motive. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts
Moore, M. T. (1990). Problem finding and teacher experience. Journal of Creative Behavior, 24, 39–58CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (1989). Curriculum and evaluation standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Newell, A., & Simon, H. A. (1972). Human problem solving. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall
Nicholls, J. (1984). Conceptions of ability and achievement motivation. In R. Ames & C. Ames (Eds.), Research on motivation in education (pp. 39–73). Academic Press
Pintrich, P. R., & Schunk, D. H. (1996). Motivation in education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall
Powers, W. T. (1998). Making sense of behavior: The meaning of control. New Canaan, CT: Benchmark Press
Pressley, M. (1977). Imagery and children's learning: Putting the picture in developmental perspective. Review of Educational Research, 47, 586–622CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pressley, M., & Levin, J. R. (1977). Task parameters affecting the efficacy of a visual imagery learning strategy in younger and older children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 24, 53–59CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pressley, M., & McCormick, C. (1995). Advanced educational psychology: For educators, researchers, and policymakers. New York: HarperCollins College Publishers
Pressley, M., & Woloshyn, V., et al. (1995). Cognitive strategy instruction that really improves children's academic performance (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books
Resnick, L. B. (1985). Cognition and instruction: Recent theories of human competence. In B. L. Hammonds (Ed.), Psychology and learning: The master lecture series (Vol. 4, pp. 127–186)CrossRef
Schneider, W., & Pressley, M. (1989). Memory development between 2 and 20. New York: Springer-Verlag
Schunk, D. H. (1983a). Ability versus effort attributional feedback on children's achievement: A self-efficacy analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, 848–856CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schunk, D. H. (1983b). Goal difficulty and attainment information: Effects on children's achievement behaviors. Human Learning, 2, 107–117Google Scholar
Schunk, D. H. (1983c). Progress self-monitoring: Effects on children's self-efficacy and achievement. Journal of Experimental Education, 51, 89–93CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schunk, D. H. (1984a). The self-efficacy perspective on achievement behavior. Educational Psychologist, 19, 48–58CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schunk, D. H. (1984b). Sequential attributional feedback and children's achievement behaviors. Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 1159–1169CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schunk, D. H. (1990). Goal setting and self-efficacy during self-regulated learning. Educational Psychologist, 25, 71–86CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schunk, D. H. (1996). Goal and self-evaluative influences during children's cognitive skill learning. American Educational Research Journal, 33, 359–382CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schunk, D. H. (2000). Learning theories: An educational perspective (3rd ed.). Prentice-Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ
Schunk, D. H., & Cox, P. D. (1986). Strategy training and attributional feedback with learning disabled students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 78, 201–209CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schunk, D. H., & Ertmer, P. A. (1999) Self-regulatory processes during computer skill acquisition: Goal and self-evaluative influences. Journal of Educational Psychology.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schunk, D. H., Hansen, A. R., & Cox, P. D. (1987). Peer model attributes and children's achievement behaviors. Journal of Educational Psychology, 79, 54–61CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schunk, D. H. & Rice, J. M. (1985). Verbalization of comprehension strategies: Effects on children's achievement outcomes. Human Learning, 4, 1–10Google Scholar
Schunk, D. H., & Rice, J. M. (1987). Enhancing comprehension skill and self-efficacy with strategy value information. Journal of Reading Behavior, 19, 285–302CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schunk, D. H., & Swartz, C. W. (1993). Goals and progress feedback: Effects on self-efficacy and writing achievement. Contemporary Educational Psychologist, 18, 337–354CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schunk, B. J., & Zimmerman, B. J. (1994). Self-regulation in education: Retrospect and prospect. In D. H. Schunk & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.), Self-regulation of learning and performance: Issues and educational applications (pp. 305–314.) Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum
Simon, H. A. (1979). Information processing models of cognition. Annual Review of Psychology, 30, 363–396CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Voss, J. F., Greene, T. R., Post, T. A., & Penner, B. C. (1983). Problem solving skill in the social sciences. In G. H. Bower (Ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory (Vol. 17, pp. 165–213). New York: Academic PressCrossRef
Weiner, B. (1979). A theory of motivation for some classroom experiences. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 3–25CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weiner, B. (1985). An attributional theory of motivation and emotion. Psychological Review, 92, 548–573CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weiner, B. (1986). An attributional theory of motivation and emotion. New York: Springer-Verlag
Weinstein, C. E., & Mayer, R. F. (1986). The teaching of learning strategies. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (3rd ed., pp. 315–327). New York: Macmillan
Zimmerman, B. J. (1985). The development of “intrinsic” motivation: A social learning analysis. In G. J. Whitehurst (Ed.), Annals of child development (pp. 117–160). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press
Zimmerman, B. J. (1989). A social cognitive view of self-regulated academic learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 329–339CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zimmerman, B. J. (1994). Dimensions of academic self-regulation: A conceptual framework for education. In D. H. Schunk & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.), Self-regulation of learning and performance: Issues and educational applications (pp. 3–21). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum
Zimmerman, B. J. (1995). Self-efficacy and educational development. In A. Bandura (Ed.), Self-efficacy in changing societies (pp. 202–231). New York: Cambridge University PressCrossRef
Zimmerman, B. J. (1996). Self-regulation involves more than metacognition: A social cognitive perspective. Educational Psychologist, 30, 217–221CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zimmerman, B. J. (1998). Academic studying and the development of personal skill: A self-regulatory perspective. Educational Psychologist, 33, 73–86CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Attainment of self-regulation: A social cognitive perspective. In M. Boekaerts, P. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Self-regulation: Theory, research, and applications (pp. 13–39). Orlando, FL: Academic Press
Zimmerman, B. J., Bonner, S., Evans, D. & Mellins, R. (1999). Self-regulating childhood asthma: A developmental model of family change. Health Education & Behavior, 26, 53–69CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zimmerman, B. J., & Kitsantas, A. (1996). Self-regulated learning of a motoric skill: The role of goal setting and self-monitoring. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 8, 60–75CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zimmerman, B. J., & Kitsantas, A. (1997). Developmental phases in self-regulation: Shifting from process goals to outcome goals. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89, 1–8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zimmerman, B. J., & Kitsantas, A. (1999). Acquiring writing revision skill: Shifting from process to outcome self-regulatory goals. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 1–10CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zimmerman, B. J., & Koussa, R. (1979). Social influences on children's toy preferences: Effects of model rewardingness and affect. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 4, 55–66CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zimmerman, B. J., & Lebeau, R. B. (2000). A commentary on self-directed learning. In D. H. Evensen & C. E. Hmelo (Eds.), Problem-based learning: A research perspective on learning interactions (pp. 299–313). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum
Zimmerman, B. J., & Martinez-Pons, M. (1992). Perceptions of efficacy and strategy use in the self-regulation of learning. In D. H. Schunk & J. Meece (Eds.), Student perceptions in the classroom: Causes and consequences (pp. 185–207). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum
Zimmerman, B. J., & Paulsen, A. S. (1995). Self-monitoring during collegiate studying: An invaluable tool for academic self-regulation. In P. Pintrich (Ed.), New directions in college teaching and learning: Understanding self-regulated learning (No. 63, Fall, pp. 13–27). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, IncCrossRef
Zimmerman, B. J., & Ringle, J. (1981). Effects of model persistence and statements of confidence on children's self-efficacy and problem solving. Journal of Educational Psychology, 73, 485–493CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×