Building Expertise: Cognitive Methods for Training and Performance Improvement

Chapter 15. Motivation and Expertise

The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.

—FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

AS AN EXPERIENCED INSTRUCTOR

and learner, you know first-hand that motivation fuels learning. This chapter summarizes recent perspectives on motivation that focus on beliefs and goals. Productive beliefs fuel a cycle of self-regulation activities that promote expertise. Beliefs guide the selection of learning events, the focus of effort on task-relevant techniques, and the persistence needed to achieve goals. My focus in this chapter is the psychology of motivation as a prerequisite for Chapter 16 that summarizes techniques you can use to foster motivation in your learning environments.

Motivation ...