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FROM Ds TO THE HONOR ROLL WITHOUT FOCUSING ON GRADES

By Professor Steven Reiss, Ph.D

World Society of Motivation Scientists and Professionals - Blog

9/14/12 4:07 PM

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Back to list From D's to the Honor Roll without Focusing on Grades 07 May 2012 11:54 AM | Steven Reiss (Administrator) More than 1,000 professionals worldwide have been trained in motivation analysis. They apply their skills in multinational businesses, world-class athletics, hospitals, and schools. I have asked for case studies showing what they can do. John Mark Froiland, PhD is an assistant professor of School Psychology at the University of Northern Colorado. He is an advisor at SmartNow.com in San Francisco and also provides data analytic and research-based consultation to schools, research teams, and large organizations. He reported the following case study illustrating recent advances in the application of 16 intrinsic motives to school performance. This case study was written by him. I am quoting with his permission. Anna, a sophomore in high school, was referred to the school psychologist because she was getting C's and D's and was worried that she would not be able to get into a good physical therapy program in college unless she significantly elevated her grades. The principal, special education teacher and guidance counselor wanted the school psychologist to conduct a psychological evaluation in order to determine whether Anna had a learning disability, but the school psychologist convinced them that it would be best to first gain a deep understanding of Anna's situation and develop sound interventions that could help her to thrive in the general education environment. Before developing interventions, the school psychologist first interviewed Anna and analyzed her motives via the Reiss School Motivation Profile (RSMP; Reiss, 2004; Reiss, 2009). The RSMP is a standardized assessment of what motivates any student. Anna's dream was to become a physical therapist so that she could help people be healthy and fit. Anna loved to sing in the choir at church because it brought joy to the audience and she relished being part of a harmonious team. Anna was very close to her three younger siblings and her parents; however, an interview revealed that she tried to watch her siblings on school nights while doing her homework in the kitchen. Anna had reached the point where she felt that no matter how hard she studied she couldn't raise her test scores and grades. She often had trouble sleeping the night before a test and felt nervous during tests, fearing that if she kept "bombing" tests she'd never be a physical therapist. The Reiss Profile revealed that Anna had a high need for idealism, a strong family motive, a high need for tranquility, a high need for exercise, and high desire for social contact. Anna's idealistic motive was extremely high indicating that she enjoyed altruistic pursuits and hoped to make the world a better place. The school psychologist convinced the other team members that he could help Anna by providing counseling that would help her recognize and take advantage of her own motivational strengths. For instance, the school psychologist helped Anna to see that she enjoyed the choir because it activated her altruistic motive, but that she did not initially see how her studying could help people. In fact, she enjoyed watching her siblings when she was supposed to be studying and even enjoyed helping them with their homework, which was interpreted as emanating from a combination of her idealistic and family motives. The school psychologist suggested that Anna could find more meaning in studying by believing that everything she was studying would prepare her to help people as a physical therapist. For instance, science and math classes could develop her ability to logically, calmly and systematically work her way through problems, much a like a physical therapist who figures out what parts of the client's body need to be stretched and strengthened. Social studies and English classes could enhance her understanding of people and increase her ability to communicate effectively with potential clients, referral sources and allied health professionals. This idea of seeing how studying was in fact an altruistic discipline resonated with Anna, and she gradually developed a passion for her studies. The psychologist explained to Anna that memory psychology research indicates that she would be able to deeply encode more of what she read and wrote while studying if she studied in a quiet room, devoid of competing linguistic utterances. At first, she explained that she would feel guilty for doing this because her siblings need her help. But, the psychologist helped her to see that many potential patients would benefit from her studying diligently and that her siblings would ultimately benefit from watching their older sister chase her dreams with a passion. She also decided that she could spend time playing with her siblings and help them with their homework if she had time after completing hers. She noticed after a few weeks that she was becoming more efficient and requiring less time to study because she was getting more into her studies and able to concentrate more in a quiet room. In order to deal with her test anxiety, the school psychologist taught her relaxation techniques that she practiced repeatedly and utilized before and during exams. Although this helped initially, she later did not need these exercises any more because her altruistic focus on learning alleviated much of her anxiety. Previous research shows that focusing more on how studying can prepare one to help others reduces academic anxiety and elevates positive emotions toward homework (Froiland, 2011). Anna's other strong need is for exercise, which was utilized in the intervention by encouraging her to use exercise as a rejuvenating self-reward whenever she finished her homework; in fact, she came up with the idea of often exercising with her siblings after finishing her homework, thereby integrating her exercise and family motives efficiently.
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World Society of Motivation Scientists and Professionals - Blog

9/14/12 4:07 PM

Anna gradually improved her test scores and course grades from C's and D's in the previous semester to C's and B's in the semester she was referred. In the subsequent year (Anna's junior year), the psychologist faded sessions from once a week to once a month, as Anna was mastering the techniques and motivational insights she gained in counseling. In the following year, Anna made the B honor roll in the first semester and the A honor roll in the second semester. Now it was clear to many that Anna really could get a physical therapy degree from a good university and that she was on a journey toward becoming a compassionate physical therapist. Anna was much more happy and confident now and had the skills to deal with the types of challenges she would face in college. This case study illustrates how the Reiss School Motivation Profile can help high school mental health professionals provide effective counseling and empower students to harness their own motivational strengths in pursuing their dreams. References Froiland, J. M. (2011). Parental autonomy support and student learning goals: A preliminary examination of an intrinsic motivation intervention. Child and Youth Care Forum, 40, 135-149. Reiss, S. (2004). Multifaceted nature of intrinsic motivation: The theory of 16 basic desires. Review of General Psychology, 8, 179-193. Reiss, S. (2009). Six motivational reasons for low school achievement. Child & Youth Care Forum, 38, 219-225. 2011 Steven Reiss, All Rights Reserved

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