Research Blog #6: Visual

    Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM

The above graph shows the distribution of wealth in the United States as compared to both what the American population thinks it is and what they consider to be the ideal distribution.  While the actuality of wealth distribution comes as no surprise to me because of knowledge of Pareto's Principle, the fact remains that there is large amounts of inequality amongst the American public.  And, we have been sold that a college education would free the average American from its shackles, that a college degree would promote economic mobility, that every child should have the right to a college education, that no child should be left behind, and no one would be denied from education because they could not afford it.  However, college does the exact opposite.  Rather, the higher education system in US has been systemically set up to perpetuate class reproduction for the elite, while leaving it simply a goal for middle class.  While student loans are the most obvious example, there are countless other which I will discuss within my essay.  Higher education isn't the solution to the inequality problem, its merely a contributing factor of the problem itself.

Literature Review #3: Do Reasons for Attending College Affect Academic Outcomes? A Test of a Motivational Model From a Self-Determination Theory Perspective

2) MLA Citation:

Guiffrida, Douglass A., Martin F. Lynch, Andrew F. Wall, and Darlene S. Abel. "Do Reasons for Attending College Affect Academic Outcomes?: A Test of a Motivational Model from a Self-Determination Theory Perspective." Journal of College Student Development 54.2 (2013): 121-39. Johns Hopkins University Press. Web.

3) Summary:

Via a survey of 2,520 college students, the researchers wanted to find a correlated relationship between the reasons for attending college and students' academic outcomes.  They believe that students' motivation can be derived from a the self-determination theory which deals with motivation, personality, and development.  It denotes a difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation; intrinsic motivation comes purely from the joy and satisfaction of completing activity itself, while extrinsic motivation is derived from an external goal or merely avoiding punishment.  From their research, the authors found that academic success and higher GPAs were more prevalent in students pursing goals stemming from intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation.

4) Author:

Douglass A Guiffrida is an associate professor of Counseling and Human Development at the Warner School of Education of the University of Rochester.   He is the author of over 30 books and articles that have been posted in peer reviewed journals.  Moreover, in 2007, he won the American Counseling Assocation's Ralph F. Berdie Memorial Research Award, which directly honors innovative college student affairs research.  Clearly, his credentials qualify him as a trusted source on college related subject matters.

5) Key Terms:

Self-Determination Theory: "a theory of motivation, personality, and development that suggests that intrinsic motivation is more conducive to learning than extrinsic motivation."

Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation: Intrinsic motivation deals with motivation derived from enjoying the experience itself while extrinsic deals with an external goal

6) Quotes:

a) Conceptually, it is logical that motivation to attend college to fulfill relatedness needs may have a more complex relationship to college success than autonomy and competence, depending on the type, quality, and purpose of the relationship.

b) SDT is a theory of motivation, personality, and development that proposes that intrinsic motivation, or motivation derived purely from the satisfaction inherent in the activity itself, is more conducive to learning than extrinsic motivation, or motivation to achieve an external reward or to avoid a punishment.

c) One of the most important of these background characteristics is socioeconomic status (SES). Research indicates that family income level and parental education are strongly positively correlated with college student academic success

7) Value:
I see this article being used as a devil's advocate against the rest of my work.  A very common argument for college success is the "whoever works the hardest will inevitably succeed."  This, in a way, deals with the motivations of college students and how it affects their academic success.  One might argue that merely "wanting it more" will directly lead to success, however, according to this article, motivations must be intrinsic.  The want of an external goal, may not directly lead to success because of the SDT.  I view this as a strong counterpoint to the naysayers of my argument.

http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/ehost/detail?sid=1cccbef0-919c-4646-b622-7c0e8f4c2f40%40sessionmgr14&vid=1&hid=3&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ1008026