Key components: Expectancy, Instrumentality, Valence
The expectancy theory of motivation contains three key components and relationships. These components are: expectancy, instrumentality and valence. The theory, along with these three components, strives to show how a person will react regarding their behavior and choices. It looks at the motivation and assesses the basic performance and reward model for individuals. The theory and its key components will be addressed as they relate to the given example.
Expectancy is defined as believing that a certain effort will result in achieving a desired performance level. An example of this is the assumption that if one practices the piano they will be able to perform better at their recital. This key component also contains three sub-components. The first sub-component is the person’s belief that they have the ability to be successful in the effort; this is known as self-efficacy. The second sub-component is known as goal-difficulty. Goal-difficulty is the perception of the attainability of the goals set by the individual. When goals are set too high, they are deemed unobtainable and motivation waivers. Last, we look at the sub-component of perceived-control. This sub-component is the perception that one has control over their performance of an effort. A person must feel that they have some degree of control over the desired outcome of an effort or the motivation to perform will be low.
The second key component, instrumentality, is the belief that a reward will be given if effort expectations are met. These rewards can be a pay increase, promotion or simply recognition of one’s efforts. Sub-components within instrumentality are trust, control and policies. In order for instrumentality to function, the individual must trust that their supervisor so any reward is believable. Additionally, when the trust component is nonexistent, individuals tend to try and control the reward system. As the perception of control over...