Buck Lewis believes that if he competes in a local rodeo and can stay on a bucking bronco for eight seconds, he will win a silver buckle that he would really like to have. However, he also believes that his chances of staying on the horse for that amount of time are zero. As a result, expectancy theory would MOST LIKELY predict that Buck will ________.
A) be highly motivated to compete in the rodeo
B) be likely to win if he does compete
C) have zero motivation to compete
D) modify his level of instrumentality in order to win

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to expectancy theory, motivation is a function of three variables: expectancy, instrumentality, and valence. In this case, Buck believes his chances of staying on the horse for eight seconds are zero, which means he has a low expectancy of success. Therefore, he is unlikely to be motivated to compete in the rodeo, even if he desires the silver buckle (which would give him a high valence). So, the most likely prediction is that he will have zero motivation to compete.

Buck Lewis Believes That If He Competes in a Local