Dubois, P., Guay, F., & St-Pierre, M. C. (2023). Examining the contribution of motivation in the job search of youth with developmental language disorder. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 8, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/23969415231152094
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Key terms in this paper:
Autonomous motivation: doing something because you find it enjoyable or important.
Controlled motivation: when your actions are controlled by factors such as guilt or rewards.
Effort: how much time and energy you put into something.
Intensity: how often something happens.
Self-regulation: setting a goal and making a plan for it.
What was the aim of this paper?
Research shows that controlled motivation negatively affects self-regulation and the quality of the job search. In contrast, autonomous motivation relates to higher job search intensity and higher self-regulation. Both higher effort and intensity have been linked to success in finding employment. Increased self-regulation is also connected with positive outcomes, such as higher number of first interviews. However, little is known about motivations and job search behaviours of youth with DLD.
The aims of this study were to:
Assess the job search motivations and behaviours (effort, intensity, and self-regulation) of young people with DLD. Participants were either students or young adults aged 15 to 33.
Examine whether youth with DLD who are autonomously motivated during their job search put in more effort, intensity, and report better self-regulation.
Examine whether youth with DLD who use controlled motivation during their job search put in less effort, intensity, and report worse self-regulation.
What was found?
Autonomous motivation relates to higher effort, intensity and self-regulation during the job search process of young individuals with DLD.
Controlled motivation does not relate to effort, intensity and self-regulation during the job search process of youth with DLD.
What does the findings mean?
Autonomous motivation predicts better job search behaviours among young people with DLD. This is not the case for controlled motivation. Encouraging autonomous motivation can therefore support youth with DLD in their job search. This can be achieved by giving people with DLD more freedom during the job search process. These findings are similar to other studies with typically developing students. This suggests that autonomous motivation is equally important to all individuals, with or without DLD.
Where can I read this paper?
This paper is open access, which means everyone can read it. Please click here to read the full paper: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/23969415231152094