Phytoplankton periodicity: its motivation, mechanisms and manipulation

This review summarizes some recent work to find a generalized explanation of phytoplankton periodicity in lakes. Much of the observational and experimental evidence is drawn from work centred on the large enclosures (Lund Tubes) installed in Blelham Tarn, English Lake District. Observations on the phytoplankton in the tubes are related to the periodic changes that occur in natural lakes and it is suggested that such changes have common patterns, that they are due to common causes, that they are affected by similar processes and that they are therefore predictable and, potentially, manipulable.

Socioeconomic status, parental support, motivation and self-confidence in youth competitive sport

World Conference on Psychology and Sociology 2012

Intrinsic motivation and design of ICT for the ageing population

Chapter 11 Intrinsic Motivation and Design of ICT for ... Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems provide an increasingly promising platform with which to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare, ...

The Effect of Motivation on Movement: A Study of Bradykinesia in Parkinson's Disease

Background: Bradykinesia is a cardinal feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite its disabling impact, the precise cause of this symptom remains elusive. Recent thinking suggests that bradykinesia may be more than simply a manifestation of motor slowness, and may in part reflect a specific deficit in the operation of motivational vigour in the striatum. In this paper we test the hypothesis that movement time in PD can be modulated by the specific nature of the motivational salience of possible action-outcomes. Methodology/Principal Findings: We developed a novel movement time paradigm involving winnable rewards and avoidable painful electrical stimuli. The faster the subjects performed an action the more likely they were to win money (in appetitive blocks) or to avoid a painful shock (in aversive blocks). We compared PD patients when OFF dopaminergic medication with controls. Our key finding is that PD patients OFF dopaminergic medication move faster to avoid aversive outcomes (painful electric shocks) than to reap rewarding outcomes (winning money) and, unlike controls, do not speed up in the current trial having failed to win money in the previous one. We also demonstrate that sensitivity to distracting stimuli is valence specific. Conclusions/Significance: We suggest this pattern of results can be explained in terms of low dopamine levels in the Parkinsonian state leading to an insensitivity to appetitive outcomes, and thus an inability to modulate movement speed in the face of rewards. By comparison, sensitivity to aversive stimuli is relatively spared. Our findings point to a rarely described property of bradykinesia in PD, namely its selective regulation by everyday outcomes. © 2012 Shiner et al.

The Advanced Students’ Motivation for Explicit Learning of Grammar

The role of the explicit teaching and learning of grammar in the process of foreign language teaching is a very controversial issue. Language teachers and language teaching methodologists differ in their opinions as to whether grammar should be taught at all and, if so, what is the best way of presenting it. In order to find out students’ opinions on the usefulness of the explicit teaching and learning of grammar a questionnaire was given to fifty-one English majors studying in the Institute of English at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. The results of the questionnaire reveal a very positive attitude on the part of the students towards the explicit learning of grammar. The deductive way of learning seems to be favoured by the majority of the respondents, who also unanimously point to translation as a very effective form of grammar exercise.

Integrative motivation and global language (English) acquisition in Poland

This study investigated the consistency of a measure of integrative motivation in the prediction of achievement in English as a foreign language in 18 samples of Polish school students. The results are shown to have implications for concerns expressed that integrative motivation might not be appropriate to the acquisition of English because it is a global language and moreover that other factors such as the gender of the student or the environment of the class might also influence its predictability. Results of a hierarchical linear modeling analysis indicated that for the older samples, integrative motivation was a consistent predictor of grades in English, unaffected by either the gender of the student or class environment acting as covariates. Comparable results were obtained for the younger samples except that student gender also contributed to the prediction of grades in English. Examination of the correlations of the elements of the integrative motivation score with English grades demonstrated that the aggregate score is the more consistent correlate from sample to sample than the elements themselves. Such results lead to the hypothesis that integrative motivation is a multi-dimensional construct and different aspects of the motivational complex come into play for each individual. That is, two individuals can hold the same level of integrative motivation and thus attain the same level of achievement but one might be higher in some elements and lower in others than another individual, resulting in consistent correlations of the aggregate but less so for the elements.

Factors relating to motivation to change behaviour in individuals who are overweight: application of the health belief model

Background: Obesity is the most important health challenge faced at a global level and represents a rapidly growing problem to the health of populations. Given the escalating global health problem of obesity and its co-morbidities, the need to re-appraise its management is more compelling than ever. The normalisation of obesity within our society and the acceptance of higher body weights have led to individuals being unaware of the reality of their weight status and gravity of this situation. Recognition of the problem is a key component of obesity management and it remains especially crucial to address this issue. A large amount of research has been undertaken on obesity however, limited research has been undertaken using the Health Belief Model. Aim: The aim of the research was to determine factors relating to motivation to change behaviour in individuals who perceive themselves to be overweight and investigate whether the constructs of the Health Belief Model help to explain motivation to change behaviour. Method: The research design was quantitative, correlational and cross-sectional. The design was guided by the Health Belief Model. Data Collection: Data were collected online using a multi-section and multi-item questionnaire, developed from a review of the theoretical and empirical research. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were employed to describe relationships between variables. Sample: A sample of 202 men and women who perceived themselves to be overweight participated in the research. Results: Following multivariate regression analysis, perceived barriers to weight loss and perceived benefits of weight loss were significant predictors of motivation to change behaviour. The perceived barriers to weight loss which were significant were psychological barriers to weight loss (p =<0.019) and environmental barriers to physical activity (p=<0.032).The greatest predictor of motivation to change behaviour was the perceived benefits of weight loss (p<0.001). Perceived susceptibility to obesity and perceived severity of obesity did not emerge as significant predictors in this model. Total variance explained by the model was 33.5%. Conclusion: Perceived barriers to weight loss and perceived benefits of weight loss are important determinants of motivation to change behaviour. The current study demonstrated the limited applicability of the Health Belief Model constructs to motivation to change behaviour, as not all core dimensions proved significant predictors of the dependant variable.