OVERVIEW

The course aims at presenting an overview of the most relevant theoretical and methodological approaches to the investigation of human behaviour concerning emotional experiences and motivational drives. The course will provide an exhaustive description about the relationship between emotion and motivation, balancing theoretical analysis and application to specific cases, investigating the correct management of counselling setting form the emotional and motivational point of view.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at providing an updated survey about the research concerning psychology of emotions and motivation, particularly focusing on practical domains like helping relationship, motivational counselling at school and on the workplace.

LEARNING OUTCOMES (FURTHER INFO)

Students will be provided with an overview of the main theoretical and methodological approaches to emotion and motivation. They will be able to identify the most relevant aspects of the different approaches, understanding their specific strengths and weaknesses. Concerning the study of emotion and motivation, students will be able to link theory to practice, from personal experiences to group discussions of cases.

The main topics of the part concerning psychology of emotions will be about the relationship between emotion and language, the physiological bases of emotions, the expression of emotion, the cognitive underpinnings of emotional states and the concept of resilience and emotional well-being. In addition, the most recent advances in research about emotions will be presented, mostly concerning emotions like happiness, aesthetic pleasure, ambivalence, disgust, fear, boredom, envy, embarrassment, shame, guilt, nostalgia, sadness, anger, conflict management and forgiving.

Concerning the psychology of motivation, students will know the main aspects of the relationship between motivation, needs and drives, the biological underpinnings of behaviour, the motivation for learning, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, flow state, achievement, curiosity, attributional styles. In addition, students will learn the difference between mastery and performance-oriented motivation, implicit theories of intelligence, perception of ability, self-efficacy, self-handicap, learned helplessness. They will also learn the development of motivation in children and the motivational styles, taking into account the methods for enhancing motivation. Eventually, students will learn the motivation interview method and its application to educational and professional settings.

TEACHING METHODS

The course will be based on several teaching methods:

• presentations: discussion of the main theoretical models in psychology of emotion and motivation, based on slides and material available on Aulaweb
• group activities: groups will analyse cases and have open discussions
• seminars: specific presentations held by experts (e.g. facial expression of emotions)

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Introduction to the course – emotion and language
• Expression of emotions and physiology of emotion
• The rogerian approach to emotions
• Happiness and joy
• Aesthetic emotion and ambivalence
• Boredom, sadness, and nostalgia
• Embarrassment and disgust
• Jealousy, envy and fear
• Anger, conflict, conflict management
• Gratefulness and forgiving
• Motivation, needs and drives
• Motivation for learning
• Motivation for achievement
• Learning goals
• Perception of ability and learned helplessness
• Development of the motivation for learning
• Motivation for change
• Motivational interview

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Program for students regularly attending the classes:

• Moè, La motivazione, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2010
• R. De Beni e A. Moè, Motivazione e apprendimento, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2000

• V. D’Urso e R. Trentin, Introduzione alla psicologia delle emozioni, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 1998
• Handouts in Aulaweb

Program for students NOT attending the classes:

• Moè, Motivati si nasce o si diventa?, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2011.
• Moè, La motivazione, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2010
• R. De Beni e A. Moè, Motivazione e apprendimento, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2000
• V. D’Urso e R. Trentin, Introduzione alla psicologia delle emozioni, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 1998
• Handouts in Aulaweb

Main references for course’s materials.

• F. Rheinberg, Psicologia della motivazione ̧ Il Mulino, Bologna, 2003.
• G. Bellelli, Le ragioni del cuore, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2008.

• C. Rogers, Un modo di essere, Psycho, Firenze, 2001

• A. Bruzzone, Carl Rogers, Carocci, Roma, 2007
• J. Le Doux, Il cervello emotivo, Baldini e Castoldi, Roma, 2003

• A. Damasio, L’errore di Cartesio, Adelphi, Roma, 1994.

• M. Seligman, La costruzione della felicità. Che cos'è l'ottimismo, perché può migliorare la vita, Sperling & Kupfer, Milano, 2005

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

FABRIZIO BRACCO (President)

GUIDO FRANCO AMORETTI

CARLO CHIORRI

LESSONS

LESSONS START

February 21st, Tuesday, 10 am

Class schedule

PSYCHOLOGY OF THE EMOTIONS OF THE MOTIVATION

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written test with open-ended questions. Students wanting to increase the grade of the written test may ask for an oral exam to be given during the following exam session.

Exam description for student regularly attending the class

• Written test (compulsory): 3 open-ended questions (range 0-5 points) and a case analysis concerning motivational issues. The case range points are as follows: 0-5 points for completeness of the concepts presented, 0-5 point for adequacy of the material presented, 0-5 points for clarity of presentation. The available time will be 90 minutes
• Oral test (optional): analysis of a case concerning motivational issues. The oral exam can be requested after the written test. The final grade will be the average of the two tests.

Attending the lessons, students could ground their study on Aulaweb handouts and the books listed in the program.

Exam description for student NOT regularly attending the class

• Written test (compulsory): 6 open-ended questions (range 0-5 points). The available time will be 90 minutes
• Oral test (optional): analysis of a case concerning motivational issues. The oral exam can be requested after the written test. The final grade will be the average of the two tests.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written test will provide an objective assessment and will evaluate students’ capacity in writing a coherent, sound, complete and clear discourse about psychological topics like emotion and motivation (as it will be further required for the dissertation and at the end of the stage).

The open-ended questions will require more than just a repetition of concepts, but rather a demonstration of linking models and theories, capacity to critically analyse the constructs, to have a global perspective over problems and mastery of the technical terminology.

The students that regularly attended the class will be invited to analyse a case presenting motivational issues. The analysis will follow the guidelines provided during the course and will be evaluated in terms of completeness, adequacy and clarity.

The optional oral exam could increase the grade obtained in the written test, and the students will be required to demonstrate critical thinking about a case study. The emotional and cognitive competences implied with these assessment methods could be discussed, linking students’ direct experience with the models and theories presented during the course, evaluating both the knowledge of concepts, the critical thinking, metacognitive competences.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Topics for dissertations

For experimental research dissertations, students are invited to provide an experimental plan to discuss during the meeting. The topics are:

• psychology of emotions and motivation
• personality psychology
• cognitive psychology
• cognitive ergonomics and human factors