This article is the sixth in a series of articles summarizing the research that established the Reiss Motivation Profile® as the Science of Motivation®.
Professor Steven Reiss, along with school counselor Paula Kavanaugh, used the RMP to assess the motivational relationships of low-achieving high school students.
Participants Participants consisted of 49 students, 33 boys and 16 girls, in grades 9-11 at an upper middle-class, suburban high school in the United States. All participants were enrolled in a standardized education curriculum and were in the bottom 10 percent of their class with the exception of special education students.
Each participant completed the Reiss School Motivation Profile® (RSMP).
Results Participants' scores differed from norms on seven scales: Curiosity, Family, Honor, Idealism, Social Communication, Tranquility, and Revenge.
Participants scored below the norm on the Curiosity scale. Their responses on the RSMP revealed that they disliked thinking, found intellectual activities frustrating, and did not enjoy analyzing topics in depth.
Low scores on the Family scale showed that they gave family life a below-average priority. Compared to others, they were less likely to agree with items such as "I am happiest when spending time with my family" and "My family comes first".
Low scores on the honor scale indicated that their concern about moral behavior was below average. Their responses to RSMP items revealed that these students were more likely to act in their self-interest rather than following the rules and less inclined to accept responsibility for their own bad behavior.
They scored below the norm on the idealism scale. They placed less value on treating people fairly, being compassionate and helping others than their peers.
High scores on the Social Communication scale revealed above-average interest in spending time with peers. They were more likely than others to agree with statements such as "I like parties" and "I like meeting new people".
Low scores on the serenity scale indicated that their concern for personal safety was below average. Compared to their peers, they rarely worried, were generally risk-takers and enjoyed activities that offered excitement and adventure.
They scored above the norm on the revenge scale. Their responses on the RSMP showed that these students were quick to be offended, ready to fight back, preferred competition over cooperation, and valued winning highly.
Discussion The results revealed three motivational reasons for the participants' low grades:
Low Need for Curiosity: Students' dislike of thinking may lead them to avoid schoolwork as much as possible. For example, they may skim reading assignments quickly instead of understanding them, make careless mistakes while hurrying through their work, rarely double-check their answers, and study for exams at the last minute - all of which tend to result in lower grades.
Low Need for Honor: Students' tendency to disobey rules can lead to behaviors that harm school performance. For example, they may miss class time for being late to class, receive only partial credit for incomplete assignments, and fail if they are caught cheating on an exam.
High Need for Revenge: Students' tendency towards verbal and/or physical aggression in response to perceived insults can lead to disciplinary actions, resulting in suspension and disciplinary penalties. These penalties can negatively affect students' academic performance due to the loss of instructional time.
It revealed the types of strategies that would not work to motivate these students to higher academic achievement. Task calls will probably not work because low-achieving students reported little desire for the right character. Parents of these students may not be able to inspire greater academic effort due to the students' lower-than-average value of family life. Teachers' warnings about the importance of lifelong learning will likely not resonate with these students who experience thinking as an unpleasant experience.
Based on the findings of this study, the best strategies to motivate these low-achieving students would be those that build on students' strong needs for peer interaction and competition. For example, increasing opportunities for group projects and introducing more competition into class activities may be useful to encourage more effort and better grades.
Another important finding to note is that the participants had average scores on the Power scale. In other words, these low-achieving students were not "lazy". They may not have had academic ambition because they did not like to think, but their responses on the RSMP showed that they were willing to work reasonably hard for goals that were important to them.
Furthermore, the participants demonstrated satisfactory self-esteem, scoring average scores on the Acceptance scale. Their low scores were not the result of inconsistent effort caused by fear of failure. Unlike insecure students who worked hard on easy tasks but gave up quickly when faced with difficulty, these low-achieving students lacked the will to engage in academic work for long periods of time because of the frustration they experienced when they needed to think.
If students are not reaching their potential, it is first necessary to assess their most intense core desires - their most valuable inner goals. This is the purpose of the Reiss School Motivation Profile®. Once these goals have been identified, school professionals need to show students the causal relationship between greater academic effort on the one hand and success in achieving their goals on the other. For example, good grades can help a student with a high need for Physical Activity gain athletic fitness, while a student with a high need for Status can help a student with a high need for Status gain the attention and respect they desire.
In summary, the Reiss School Motivation Profile® provides school professionals with a valid tool for understanding each student's unique intrinsic motivations, which is critical for developing successful strategies to help low-achieving students.