Considerable motivational research has proposed that students making choices for academic tasks need to be intrinsically motivated. Research from self-determination theory, the most commonly used framework for studying choice, suggests that providing choices regarding academic tasks plays a significant role in satisfying students’ need for autonomy (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Further, providing choices may lead to increased intrinsic motivation and task performance (Ryan & Deci, 2000, 2006). Recent evidence, however, suggests that choice can have no effect, or even negative effects, on students’ intrinsic motivation and learning (e.g., Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008). Kats and Assor (2007) described that simply offering choice itself is not motivating and not helpful for students’ learning. Rather, contextual factors (e.g., the number of choices) and individual factors (e.g., task value and decision-making strategies) can moderate the effects of choice on students’ intrinsic motivation and task performance. Two experimental studies were conducted to examine this conclusion by considering contextual and individual factors. In Study 1, participants were randomly assigned to lists of either 30 different sets of course ideas (i.e., extensive choice condition) or six different sets of course ideas (i.e., limited choice condition) to choose from, for their book analysis. The book analysis task was a required and high-stakes assignment. Students’ task value, decision-making strategy, and intrinsic motivation were rated using a self-report survey. Task performance was determined by grades students received from two unbiased graduate raters. The results of Study 1 suggest no significant difference for intrinsic motivation and task performance by choice condition. However, there was an interaction between the number of choices and task value with regard to intrinsic motivation. Extensive choices enhanced intrinsic motivation, especially effort, among students who thought the given task was not important for receiving a good grade (i.e., a lower level of extrinsic task value). Study 2 investigated the same research questions by using an elective low-stakes assignment. Participants were asked to complete an extra-credit movie response essay under one of two choice conditions: limited choice, and extensive choice conditions. They completed the same surveys for measuring students’ task value, decision-making strategy, and intrinsic motivation. Task performance was also determined by grades students received from two unbiased graduate raters. The results of Study 2 show that an extensive number of choices may enhance intrinsic motivation and task performance. There was an interaction between the number of choices and decision-making strategy with regard to intrinsic motivation. Extensive choices increased intrinsic motivation, especially value, among students who used maximizing (i.e., a higher level of well-informed decision-making strategy). Overall, the findings from the two experimental studies surprisingly indicate the contrasting patterns of the previous choice overload studies (e.g., Iyengar & Lepper, 2000). One possible explanation for these results is that extensive choices may not necessarily be perceived as excessive. Furthermore, individual factors can moderate the relations between the number of choices and intrinsic motivation, and between the number of choices and task performance. Implications for research and practice on the effects of choice are also discussed.
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