Choice Alone: Choice, Motivation, and Performance

Julia Teitelbaum

Hypothesis
If individuals are offered a simple choice about the order in which they complete two tasks, then they will be more motivated to complete the tasks and perform better overall.

Method
A roughly 50 person convenience sample will complete two simple sorting tasks, and a followup survey online. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to a choice condition in which they chose which task to complete first. The control group (no-choice condition) was randomly assigned to complete the two tasks in a random order. Each participant completed a namesorting and a number-sorting task. We timed each task and asked participants to complete a brief survey about their motivation after both tasks.

Findings
Overall Trends in Motivation and Performance for Choice and No-Choice Conditions
2.1: Motivation: Choice vs. No Choice
4.2 4.1 4 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.6 Name Task Number Task Motivation Average

Motivation Scale

Choice No Choice

Overall, participants in the choice condition had higher average motivation for each task and on average. However, the differences in motivation between the choice and no-choice group were not statistically significant.

2.2: Performance: Choice vs. No Choice

Total (Both) Number Task Name Task 0

Performance

No Choice Choice

Participants in the experimental choice condition overall performed worse than participants in the no-choice condition. They spent more time completing each task and more time total. However, the differences in performance between the two groups were not statistically significant.

20 40 60 80 Seconds Spent on Task Page