A Critical-Incidents Study of the Motivational Effect of Grades on College Students
Herzberg's Motivation-to-Work interview was modified and administered to 48 business students in order to study the psychological effect of grades. An analysis of the reported events did not support Motivator-Hygiene theory in that significantly more of the incidents about low grades were (about) motivators than hygiene. An analysis of the feelings associated with the events did support Motivator-Hygiene theory in that significantly more of the high incidents were motivators and more of the low incidents were hygiene. The feelings due to the motivator incidents lasted significantly longer than those due to the hygiene incidents, also supportive of Motivator-Hygiene theory.