Maladaptive motivational style: the role of domain specific task demand in English and mathematics

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Abstract
This study is concerned with the differences in the prevalence of maladaptive motivational styles in a school population in aspects of two National Curriculum core subjects: English and mathematics. Using a curriculum‐based adaptation of procedures devised by Craske (1988), all pupils in Years 7,9 and 11 of two secondary schools, and all pupils in Year 6 of 11 of their feeder primary schools, were categorised into one of three motivational styles: learned helplessness, self‐worth motivation and mastery orientation. These three motivational styles are concerned with the ways in which pupils respond in the face of a perceived threat of failure on an educational task. Mastery orientation is considered adaptive while learned helplessness and self‐worth motivation are considered maladaptive. This study compares the prevalence of each motivational style in English comprehension with that of mathematics and provides empirical evidence of a higher prevalence of maladaptive motivational styles in English comprehension than in mathematics irrespective of age, gender, ethnic origin and non‐verbal reasoning ability. The findings support the view that motivational style is more a product of situational than individual variables. Implications for the development of domain‐specific motivational style are discussed.

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