Write a 5-page assessment in which you compare and contrast the research methodologies and results of at least two different studies on motivation and performance associated with a specific emotion.

Positive emotions (happiness, optimism, hope) can improve goal-directed motivation while negative emotions (fear, anxiety, pessimism, depression, learned helplessness, guilt, shame) can interfere with goal-directed motivation.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

Competency 1: Employ critical and creative thinking to evaluate problems, conflicts, and unresolved issues in the study of human motivation and performance.
Describe, based upon current research, the effect of a negative or positive emotion on goal-directed motivation.
Competency 2: Apply knowledge of theory and research in the study of human motivation and performance to inform personal behavior, professional goals, and values, and understand social policy.
Describe how the results of two selected studies may inform or describe personal or professional behavior in similar circumstances.
Competency 3: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of professional communities.
Apply proper APA formatting and style.
Competency 5: Explain the important theories, paradigms, research findings and conclusions in human motivation and performance.
Describe how a negative or positive emotion addressed by current research affects the biological, learned, and cognitive components of goal-directed motivation.
Competency 6: Analyze the research methodology and tools typically associated with the study of human motivation and performance.
Differentiate the purposes of two selected studies and the research questions each addresses.
Evaluate how well the research results of two selected studies address the research questions they were designed to answer.
Describe the tools and technologies used in two selected studies.

Write a paper comparing and contrasting the research methodologies and results of at least two different studies on motivation and performance associated with a specific emotion.

Preparation

This assessment requires you to identify a topic to research and then to examine the results and methods of two studies on the selected topic. The topic must be an emotion and its effect on goal-directed motivation.

An important skill in conducting research is to narrow the focus of your topic to keep the content manageable and to facilitate finding supportive evidence. To identify a topic:

Select a positive or negative emotion that has an effect on goal-directed motivation, and then begin to narrow the focus of the topic.
Continue to narrow the focus of your topic with consideration for other relevant factors, such as age of the research subjects (adults versus children), their gender, their educational level, or other demographic or topical factors. Your goal is to identify a research topic that is appropriately narrow and can be sharply defined, and for which research is available.
Do some preliminary research to ensure that you have sufficient sources for your topic. You must locate at least two peer-reviewed research journal articles on your chosen topic from the Capella library. To find sources, select key words and enter them into the Summon search engine in the Capella University Library. If you do not find sufficient resources, revise the focus of your topic and try again.
Finally, develop a working title for your paper (for example, “The Benefits of Hope in Peak Work Performance” or “Effects of Depression on Adolescent Academic Performance”) that addresses the narrowed and manageable research topic.
After you identify a topic, select two studies to use as the focus for your paper.

Instructions

For this assessment, write a paper in which you complete the following:

Describe, based upon current research, the effect of a selected negative or positive emotion on goal-directed motivation.
Describe how the negative or positive emotion addressed by current research affects the biological, learned, and cognitive components of goal-directed motivation.
Compare and contrast the research methods used in the two selected studies. What is the purpose of these studies? What are the research questions to be answered by these studies? Do the research results address the research questions?
Identify the tools (interviews, surveys, questionnaires) and technologies (telephone, audio/videotapes, Internet) that were used in the selected studies.
Conclude with what you learned from this research and how it may inform or describe your personal or professional behavior in similar circumstances.
Additional Requirements
Your paper should meet the following requirements:

Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA guidelines for style and formatting.
Number of resources: At least 3 scholarly academic resources are included.
Length of paper: The length is a minimum of 5 typed, double-spaced pages, not including the title page and reference list.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point font is used.