Tony Loves Programming

question 45

Multiple Choice

Tony loves programming. He was on the ground level of the computer revolution. This year his boss has set personal goals for each of the programmers, one of which includes a presentation from each programmer about a project. Tony is very annoyed because he has a tremendous amount of work to do and he'll have to spend the weekend, his personal time, preparing the presentation. Taking into account self-determination theory, why did his boss' goals and the presentation reduce Tony's motivation?

• A) The externally imposed goal feels coercive, causing Tony's intrinsic motivation to increase.
• B) The internally imposed goal feels coercive, causing Tony's intrinsic motivation to suffer.
• C) The self-imposed goal increases his sense of competence, causing the intrinsic motivation to suffer.
• D) The externally imposed goal is an external reward, causing Tony's intrinsic motivation to increase.
• E) The externally imposed goal feels coercive, causing Tony's intrinsic motivation to suffer.

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Definitions:

Maladaptive

Behaviors or actions that are counterproductive to personal or interpersonal wellbeing, often hindering the ability to effectively cope with or adjust to situations.

Negative Emotion

An affective state characterized by feelings of sadness, anger, or fear.

Piagetian

Pertaining to the theories of cognitive development proposed by Jean Piaget, emphasizing stages of children's intellectual growth and how they understand the world.

Behaviorist

A psychologist or scientist who studies and applies behaviorism, a theory that all behaviors are learned through interaction with the environment.