Sam Glucksberg - On Motivation

Sam Glucksberg, a professor emeritus from Princeton University, discusses the role of motivation in task performance. He explains that high motivation improves performance in easy tasks but hinders it in difficult ones. The candle experiment by Karl Duncker is used to illustrate how motivation affects problem-solving, showing that people often overlook simple solutions when highly motivated.

What is the primary effect of motivation on easy tasks?

• It improves performance.

• It makes tasks more difficult.

• It makes people work slower.

• It has no effect.

How does high motivation affect difficult tasks?

• It has no impact.

• It helps solve them faster.

• It can lead to working hard in the wrong way.

• It makes them easier.

Who developed the candle experiment?

• Sigmund Freud

• Karl Duncker

• B.F. Skinner

• Sam Glucksberg

In the candle experiment, what is the challenge when the box is full of thumbtacks?

• Mounting the candle on the table

• Seeing the box as a separate tool

• Lighting the candle

• Finding a matchbook

What is the main lesson from the candle experiment regarding motivation?

• Motivation always helps solve problems.

• Motivation is irrelevant to problem-solving.

• High motivation can lead to persistence in ineffective strategies.

• Motivation only affects physical tasks.