Measuring the Experience of Motivation: Contributions of the Experience Sampling Method to Educational Research.

An often ignored aspect of the study of motivation is the experience of motivation, how it feels to learn. Researchers and practitioners have been clear about the importance of subjective experience to motivation, but have paid little attention to measuring the experience of motivation, possibly because it is so hard to measure. The Experience Sampling Method (ESM) developed by M. Csikzentmihalyi, R. Larsen, and S. Prescott (1977) is suggested as a way to study the experience of motivation. The ESM uses electronic pagers to signal participants in a study to prompt them to fill out a self-report form about the quality of their experience at that moment. Among the advantages of the ESM is that it gathers information about behavior at the same time as ii: gathers information about the inward stream of experience. It is still, however, a reconstruction of experience, because the pager interrupts the very stream of experience one is hoping to measure. Despite its shortcomings, it is still one of the few methods that can disclose the ongoing experiences of students in natural school settings. Some research applications for the ESM are outlined. (SLD) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** Measuring the Experience of Motivation: Contributions of the Experience Sampling Method to Educational Research PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Kevin Rathunde, Ph.D. A/6um) /e9r-juok.D This document haS been reproduced as rece.ved t,orn the person or organization University of Utah ongmatetg a tI and if we have children, we've probably heard similar comments. Here is what a male adolescent says about the difficulty he is having studying for a test because his girlfriend, Aria, is with him (see Csikszentmihalyi & Larson, 1984, p.101): can't study with Aria here. How can I keep my mind on what I'm supposed to be doing instead of what I want to do. Again, a familiar experience that most of us have had. The above quotes illustrate two common difficulties associated with low motivation feelings of boredom and the inability to pay attention. But what about highly motivated teenagers, students who enjoy the schoolwork they're doing? Here is what Ben, a talented 15 year old art student, says about an art project that required him to build a Viking ship out of balsa wood (Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, & Whalen, 1993, p.132): started working with balsa wood and I saw that I could create things, not just draw them. I had so much fun doing that. Or consider this remark from the mother of Josh, a 14 year old student who is exceptionally talented in math: He will earn a doctorate in something that interests him. He'll be driven more by his interests than large