Rethinking the value of choice: A cultural perspective on intrinsic motivation.

TLDR

Choice is widely believed to enhance intrinsic motivation, persistence, performance, and satisfaction. The study tests whether these motivational benefits of choice apply in cultures with interdependent self-concepts. Across two studies, choice increased motivation more for independent American participants than for interdependent Asian participants, and Anglo American children were less motivated when choices were made for them, whereas Asian American children were most motivated when choices were made for them by trusted authority figures or peers.

Abstract

Conventional wisdom and decades of psychological research have linked the provision of choice to increased levels of intrinsic motivation, greater persistence, better performance, and higher satisfaction. This investigation examined the relevance and limitations of these findings for cultures in which individuals possess more interdependent models of the self. In 2 studies, personal choice generally enhanced motivation more for American independent selves than for Asian interdependent selves. In addition, Anglo American children showed less intrinsic motivation when choices were made for them by others than when they made their own choices, whether the others were authority figures or peers. In contrast, Asian American children proved most intrinsically motivated when choices were made for them by trusted authority figures or peers. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.