Promoting academic motivation: A perspective from motivational neuroscience
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Korea University, Department of Education, Republic of Korea
One of the fundamental questions regarding the neuroscience of motivation is what neural mechanisms underlie the selection, energization, maintenance, and modification of an action. By integrating neuroscientific findings on reward, learning, value, decision-making, and cognitive control, I propose a tentative model on motivational processes which consists of three distinct but continuous sub-processes (Kim, 2013).
In the motivational process model, motivation is defined as a series of dynamic value-based decision making processes including generation, maintenance, and regulation of motivation of which primary functions are approach toward pleasure, learning through reward-prediction error, and goal-directed control. These sub processes interact with each other by transferring neural currency through dopaminergic pathway from the striatum to the ACC, OFC, and DLPFC.
The motivation-related brain regions can be categorized into three distinct neural networks: reward-driven approaches, value-based decision making, and goal-directed control (Kim, Reeve, & Bong, 2017). Reward directly drives our initial approach or seeking behavior toward incentives. The reward circuit is a process in which an approach behavior is triggered dependent on incentive salience. It is also implicated in the learning of stimulus-action-reward associations. This system is pertained to the ventral and dorsal striatum.
Value guides our actions by highlighting those options that maximize utility. The valuation pathway involves value-based decision-making process that represents value, evaluates various outcomes of actions, and constantly calculates and updates existing values. The OFC play crucial roles in the process of maintaining motivation.
Goals can guide our behavior toward an anticipated future reward. The goal-directed control network is engaged in the regulation of motivation through cognitive control. This system is associated with executive functions such as goal maintenance, performance monitoring (updating), and strategy selection (shifting). The ACC and DLPFC are the main neural circuits related to regulation of motivation.
The neuroeducational model of academic motivation suggests several educational implications with regard to the generation, maintenance, and regulation of motivation to learn in a real-world learning environments.
References
Kim, S. I. (2013). Neuroscientific model of motivational process. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 98. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00098.
Kim, S., Reeve, J. M. & Bong, M. (2017), Recent Developments in Neuroscience Research on Human Motivation (Volume 19 of the Advances in Motivation and Achievement book series). Bingley UK: Emerald Group Publishing.
Keywords:
Motivation,
Neuroscience,
Neuroeducation,
Reward,
value,
goals,
Self-regulation,
Value-based Decision Making
Conference:
2nd International Conference on Educational Neuroscience, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 5 Mar - 6 Mar, 2017.
Presentation Type:
Talks (for invited speakers only)
Topic:
Educational Neuroscience
Citation:
Kim
S
(2017). Promoting academic motivation: A perspective from motivational neuroscience.
Conference Abstract:
2nd International Conference on Educational Neuroscience.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2017.222.00003
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Received:
30 Jan 2017;
Published Online:
11 Dec 2017.
*
Correspondence:
Prof. Sung-il Kim, Korea University, Department of Education, Seoul, Republic of Korea, sungkim@korea.ac.kr