Final Research Project Proposal
Posted: August 25th, 2021
Final Research Project Proposal
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Abstract
The study undertakes to evaluate the role of the type of motivation in influencing the helping behavior and wellbeing. Raising personal awareness and the understanding of various forms of motivations help to improve wellbeing and behavior. According to the expected research results, intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are common variables, which should be regulated to realize outcomes. The study indicates that the two types of motivation havea varied impact on individual wellbeing and helping behavior. In either case, they are both related to happiness among individuals, which in turn would increase the helping behavior. The study is emphasized through an experimental method. A questionnaire will be used to collect information on both independent and dependent variables, which is then utilized in the evaluating of their relationship. Moreover, the ANOVA will be used to obtain the information and data in this research.
Table of Contents
Final Research Project Proposal 4
Research Aim and Objectives. 5
Table 1: Survey through the questionnaire. 8
Figure 1: Predicted results. 10
Interpretation of the Results. 10
Broad Perspective of the Results. 10
Final Research Project Proposal
Introduction
The main topic of the study is examining the role of the types of motivation on the relationship between helping behavior and wellbeing. The research proposal outlines how the study would be undertaken. In this paper, there are five major sections. The first section is an introduction that highlights the main objective of the study, being informed by the background study that looks at how the subject idea has been attained. The section also discusses the problem statement, under which the objectives and research questions are highlighted. The second section is the study methodology that discusses the methods that would be used in collecting and analyzing data. The third section is the results, where the expected output of the research is explained, showing how the results would be presented and analyzed. Then lastly, the discussion section follows which examines how the results of the study would be interpreted. The section also examines the broad presentation of the results and its relevance to the area of study.
Background of the Study
It is generally understood that prosocial behaviors can help improve one’s life-satisfaction and well-being. However, the mechanisms linking prosocial acts and well-being are highly debatable, and two broad perspectives have emerged(Kaler et al., 2006). The first view is based on the idea of reciprocity. It argues that prosocial conducts produce the highest good when the actor is extrinsically motivated. Thus, helping others should have more significant positive effects on one’s well-being when they expect some form of rewards, such as social approval or increased relationship quality, than when they do not anticipate any compensation. According to the argument by Chater et al. (2014), prosocial behaviors improve one’s well-being only if they are intrinsically motivated. Thus, unlike in the extrinsic case, individuals are highly motivated when they are allowed to experience self-motivating factors.
Problem Statement
Reviews of literature link the prosocial behavior to an individual’s helping behavior and wellbeing. Motivation is highlighted as a key player in enhancing the attainment of the two aspects of prosocial behavior(Klein, 2016). Accordingly, the interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic factors are critical influencing components on how an individual can change as each of these two aspects change. However, there is limited research on establishing the role that each of the two motivational factors plays when it comes to changing the prosocial behavior of an individual. As such, the research focus would be on two types of motivation factors, categorized as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation factors are external influences that affect or motivate one’s wellbeing and satisfaction, while intrinsic motivation is about internally generated motivation elements(Klein, 2016). These two types of motivation play a critical role in an individual helping behavior and wellbeing although in varied ways. Therefore, the study will focus on ascertaining the role of each type of motivation on the relationship between the two facets of an individual’s behavior and overall wellbeing. The following subsections present the research questions and objectives that will help in achieving the purpose of the study.
Research Aim and Objectives
The key purpose of this study is to examine the role of the type of motivation on the relationship between helping behavior and wellbeing. The following objectives will be considered by the researcher to meet the purpose of the research:
- To comprehend the conceptual understanding about types of motivation
- To explore the role of types of motivation on the relationship between helping behavior and wellbeing
- To recommend motivational strategies for improving the wellbeing and helping behavior
Research Question
The following research questions are considered by the researcher to meet the research purpose:
- What is the meaning and concept of types of motivation?
- What is the role of motivation types of motivation on the relationship between helping behavior and wellbeing?
- Which motivational strategies are used to improve wellbeing and helping behavior?
Hypotheses
The following are the hypotheses that are set for the research:
- Engaging in a helping behavior increases the participant’s contentment, which in turn improves their wellbeing.
- The improvements in contentment and wellbeing are greater when the act is intrinsically motivated than when it is reward-based.
Accordingly, the hypotheses will be tested by examining the behavior of both independent and dependent variables. In this research, the type of motivation will be considered as the independent variable, while wellbeing and helping behavior will be the dependent variable. The independent variables would be manipulated under both controlled and uncontrolled environments during the experiment to observe variation in behaviors and wellbeing of the species under study. The examination of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables will be done using the ANOVA method. Precisely, the primary dependent variable is the well-being of an individual, while the independent variable is motivation type factors.
Research Methodology
The section discusses the methods that would be used collecting data and the design of the research as well as the materials required by the study.
Participants
The study expects to use a sample of fifty (50) participants selected randomly from a set of local participants in the target area and recruited into the university laboratory for study. The participants will be stratified into three main categories based on age differences. In the first category, there will be fifteen (15) participants (both male and female) under the age of 20 years, the second one will include twenty (20) participants categorized in the 21 – 29 years age bracket while and the third will have ten (10) participants categorized in the above 30 years age bracket.
| Gender | Male/Female | ||
| Age | Under 20 years | 15 | |
| 21 – 29 years | 20 | ||
| Above 30 years | 10 | ||
| Questionnaire Sample | |||
| In your opinion, which kinds of motivation affect your behavior and wellbeing? | |||
| Extrinsic motivation | |||
| Intrinsic motivation | |||
| All of the above | |||
| Do you agree that types of motivation could directly impact helping behavior? | |||
| Strongly agree | |||
| Agree | |||
| Neutral | |||
| Disagree | |||
| Strongly disagree | |||
| In your opinion, the types of motivation could affect well-being? | |||
| Yes | No | ||
Table 1: Survey through the questionnaire
Research Design
The study will adopt a manipulative design developed by Dunn et al. (2008). Accordingly, about 50 participants would be recruited into the university laboratory, each provided with $5 in cash and randomly assigned to two groups. In the first group (prosocial condition), participants would be expected to spend the $5 on helping someone through an act of choices, such as a gift or charity donation. In the second group (self-interested condition), participants would be expected to spend the money on themselves. A follow-up survey containing a structured questionnaire would be administered the day after the instructions are issued. The responses would be collected and subjected to processing to develop relevant themes that can be analyzed to fulfill the objective of the study.
Procedure / Materials
Procedure
The participants will be subjected to a lab experiment in a controlled environment where they would be studied after being subjected to extrinsic and intrinsic motivation factors. The preferred factors include reward and control respectively, separately. After the first day, the researcher will distribute a structured questionnaire to survey and collect direct responses from the participants on the experiences.
Materials
Since the research involves a laboratory experiment focused on understanding the psychological transformation of an individual helping behavior and wellbeing, materials required should capture their thinking both before and after being subjected to a controlled environment. In this case, the researcher will require foolscaps to taking points, pens and video recorders to monitor individual behavior. Further, financial resources will be needed as materials for research. Each participant is required to receive the US $ 5 for a single session of research, implying that the fifty (50) participants will require an aggregate of US $ 250 to conduct the study.
Results and Data Analysis
In this section, the results obtained from the experiment will be presented.
Proposed Analysis
The analysis will be done using excel with the help of Stata software to understand the trends and patterns in individual behavior. Further, the analytical experience of the research will be used in analyzing the observed behavioral change among the participants while focusing on the key themes developed in the observed individual transformation. A two factor ANOVA for hypothesis test will be used to evaluate the relationship between the extrinsic and intrinsic categories of motivation and effectively ascertain their role in helping behavior and wellbeing. Regression analysis will be done to establish how each of the types of motivation affects or influences the independent variables, in this case, helping behavior and wellbeing.
Expected Results
Some of the expected results include an establishment that there is an improvement in the individual’s wellbeing. That is, both the helper and the recipient when the motivation is autonomous or intrinsic than when it is controlled. The relationship between wellbeing and helping behavior is facilitated through satisfaction. The following is a sample chart for the results showing the role of the type of motivation on individual wellbeing and helping behavior.
Figure 1: Predicted results
Discussion and Conclusion
Interpretation of the Results
Based on the results in figure 1 above, it can be shown that the type of motivation affects individual wellbeing and helping behavior. As estimated, highly motivated individuals have high helping behavior than those that are lowly motivated. However, self-motivated individuals are likely to exhibit a higher helping behavior compared to those motivated extrinsically.
Broad Perspective of the Results
As motivation increases, the person’s level of wellbeing increases. Highly successful people are highly motivated. Unmotivated people have low morale without the push to achieve more in life. Besides, it is expected that helping behavior and wellbeing improves with an increase in individual self-motivation. Self-motivation is acquired through successfully overcoming a challenge or recognition for what the prosocial individual has achieved. The study is limited in terms of time allocated to conduct the research. The study is expected to be completed in less than two months. Such would not guarantee an exhaustive collection of information to give accurate and reliable results on the study objective. Further, the student is limited in terms of financial resources to conduct a large scale study that could understand the role of the type of motivation on influencing wellbeingand helping behavior.
References
Chater, A., Chatzisarantis, N. L., Hagger, M. S., Hardcastle, S. J., Mallett, C., & Pal, S. (2014). Autonomous and controlled motivational regulations for multiple health-related behaviors: between- and within-participants analyses. Health psychology and behavioral medicine, 2(1), 565–601. DOI:10.1080/21642850.2014.912945
Kaler, M., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Steger, M. F. (2006). The meaning in life questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for purpose in life. Journal of Counseling. Psychology, 53, 80–93.
Klein, N. (2016): Prosocial behavior increases perceptions of meaning in life. The Journal of Positive Psychology,7(15), 1-9. DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2016.1209541.
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