Value of autonomy and the norm of external control: Contrasting effects on the motivation of Indians and Americans
Description
In Western theories of motivation, autonomy is regarded as a universal driver of human behavior, with the expectation that increasing autonomy enhances motivation across cultures. Using a novel online experimental paradigm that provided a behavioral measure of motivation, we find evidence that challenges this widely held assumption. Specifically, autonomy cues affect motivation differently among American and Indian corporate professionals. Autonomy-supportive instructions were found to increase motivation among American participants but decrease motivation among Indian participants. The interaction between motivational cues and cultural context is substantial, with minimal statistical overlap between the two groups. A second study suggests that this effect reflects culturally specific norms that are widely understood within each context. When evaluating motivational messages, Indian participants showed a stronger preference than American participants for messages emphasizing obligations rather than those highlighting individual autonomy and personal choice. Overall, these findings call into question the common assumption in both theoretical and applied psychology that enhancing autonomy is a universally effective strategy for increasing motivation.
Copyright Date
January 2013
Publication Date
1-1-2013
Keywords
Work motivation, Autonomy, Culture, Obligations
Conference
25th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, 23-26 May, 2013, Washington D.C., USA
