A Surprising Source of Self-Motivation: Prior Competence Frustration Strengthens One’s Motivation to Win in Another Competence-Supportive Activity
According to self-determination theory (SDT), competence is among the three basic psychological needs essential for one’s well-being and optimal functioning, and the frustration of these needs is theoretically predicted to induce a restorative response. While previous studies have explored the resto...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00314/full |
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| author | Hui Fang Hui Fang Bin He Bin He Huijian Fu Huijian Fu Huijun Zhang Huijun Zhang Zan Mo Zan Mo Liang Meng Liang Meng Liang Meng |
| author_facet | Hui Fang Hui Fang Bin He Bin He Huijian Fu Huijian Fu Huijun Zhang Huijun Zhang Zan Mo Zan Mo Liang Meng Liang Meng Liang Meng |
| author_sort | Hui Fang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | According to self-determination theory (SDT), competence is among the three basic psychological needs essential for one’s well-being and optimal functioning, and the frustration of these needs is theoretically predicted to induce a restorative response. While previous studies have explored the restoration process of autonomy and relatedness, empirical evidence for such a process is still lacking for competence. In order to explore this process and to examine the effect of prior competence frustration on one’s motivation to win in a subsequent competence-supportive task, we adopted a between-group experimental design and manipulated one’s competence frustration through task difficulty in an electrophysiological study. Participants in both groups were instructed to work on the time-estimation task and the stop-watch task in two successive sessions respectively. Participants in the experimental group were asked to complete a highly difficult task in the first session and a task of medium difficulty in the second session, while those in the control group were instructed to work on tasks of medium difficulty in both sessions. In the second session, an enlarged feedback-related negativity (FRN) loss-win difference wave (d-FRN) was observed in the experimental group compared to the control group, indicating that the competence-frustrated participants have an enhanced motivation to win in a subsequent competence-supportive task. Thus, results of the present study provided original neural evidence for the restoration process of frustrated competence, which provided important guidelines for the managerial practice. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T08:10:17Z |
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| id | doaj.art-720efa4957a740498b0c43f542f0e367 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T08:10:17Z |
| publishDate | 2018-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-720efa4957a740498b0c43f542f0e3672022-12-21T18:33:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612018-08-011210.3389/fnhum.2018.00314363928A Surprising Source of Self-Motivation: Prior Competence Frustration Strengthens One’s Motivation to Win in Another Competence-Supportive ActivityHui Fang0Hui Fang1Bin He2Bin He3Huijian Fu4Huijian Fu5Huijun Zhang6Huijun Zhang7Zan Mo8Zan Mo9Liang Meng10Liang Meng11Liang Meng12School of Management, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, ChinaLaboratory of Neuromanagement and Decision Neuroscience, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Management, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, ChinaLaboratory of Neuromanagement and Decision Neuroscience, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Management, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, ChinaLaboratory of Neuromanagement and Decision Neuroscience, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Management, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, ChinaLaboratory of Neuromanagement and Decision Neuroscience, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Management, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, ChinaLaboratory of Neuromanagement and Decision Neuroscience, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, ChinaLaboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, ChinaCenter for Functional Neuroimaging, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United StatesAccording to self-determination theory (SDT), competence is among the three basic psychological needs essential for one’s well-being and optimal functioning, and the frustration of these needs is theoretically predicted to induce a restorative response. While previous studies have explored the restoration process of autonomy and relatedness, empirical evidence for such a process is still lacking for competence. In order to explore this process and to examine the effect of prior competence frustration on one’s motivation to win in a subsequent competence-supportive task, we adopted a between-group experimental design and manipulated one’s competence frustration through task difficulty in an electrophysiological study. Participants in both groups were instructed to work on the time-estimation task and the stop-watch task in two successive sessions respectively. Participants in the experimental group were asked to complete a highly difficult task in the first session and a task of medium difficulty in the second session, while those in the control group were instructed to work on tasks of medium difficulty in both sessions. In the second session, an enlarged feedback-related negativity (FRN) loss-win difference wave (d-FRN) was observed in the experimental group compared to the control group, indicating that the competence-frustrated participants have an enhanced motivation to win in a subsequent competence-supportive task. Thus, results of the present study provided original neural evidence for the restoration process of frustrated competence, which provided important guidelines for the managerial practice.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00314/fullcompetencecompetence frustrationintrinsic motivationneed restorationself-determination theoryevent-related potentials |
| spellingShingle | Hui Fang Hui Fang Bin He Bin He Huijian Fu Huijian Fu Huijun Zhang Huijun Zhang Zan Mo Zan Mo Liang Meng Liang Meng Liang Meng A Surprising Source of Self-Motivation: Prior Competence Frustration Strengthens One’s Motivation to Win in Another Competence-Supportive Activity Frontiers in Human Neuroscience competence competence frustration intrinsic motivation need restoration self-determination theory event-related potentials |
| title | A Surprising Source of Self-Motivation: Prior Competence Frustration Strengthens One’s Motivation to Win in Another Competence-Supportive Activity |
| title_full | A Surprising Source of Self-Motivation: Prior Competence Frustration Strengthens One’s Motivation to Win in Another Competence-Supportive Activity |
| title_fullStr | A Surprising Source of Self-Motivation: Prior Competence Frustration Strengthens One’s Motivation to Win in Another Competence-Supportive Activity |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Surprising Source of Self-Motivation: Prior Competence Frustration Strengthens One’s Motivation to Win in Another Competence-Supportive Activity |
| title_short | A Surprising Source of Self-Motivation: Prior Competence Frustration Strengthens One’s Motivation to Win in Another Competence-Supportive Activity |
| title_sort | surprising source of self motivation prior competence frustration strengthens one s motivation to win in another competence supportive activity |
| topic | competence competence frustration intrinsic motivation need restoration self-determination theory event-related potentials |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00314/full |
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