Exam 9: The Motivation of Instrumental Action

Mack is considered a normal teacher, bordering on the dull side. He seldom provides praise in class and never does anything other than lecture on the material. His colleagues accuse him of caring very little about motivation. Jordan teaches a different section of the same course. He is enthusiastic and likes to surprise students with treats in class and bonus points for attendance. Whose students do you expect to learn the material better? Justify your answer.

The figure below describes the ability of a CS to activate a central motivational state. Is this figure consistent with what we know about selective and general Pavlovian-instrumental transfer? Justify your answer.