Implicit Theory

DEVELOPERS

Soloman Asch, A. Furnham, M.A. Runco, R.L Sternberg

BACKGROUND

Soloman Asch (1946) who first discovered that the presence of one trait often implies the existence of other additional traits. Furthermore, Asch noted that certain traits can be characterized as central traits, meaning that they imply the presence of other traits and exert a powerful influence on final impressions. Implicit theories are defined as personal constructions about particular phenomenon that reside in the minds of individuals (Sternberg, Conway, Ketron, & Bernstein, 1981). Furnham (1988) describes four characteristics of implicit theories. They are typically ambiguous and inconsistent in regards to explanation for phenomena, tend to be descriptive of types or categories of phenomena, often confuse cause and effect, and are deductive rather than inductive. Furnham notes that implicit theories can, and often do, overlap with scientific theories and may function in similar ways.

REFERENCES ~ Selected Entries Detailed Reference Sheet

• Dweck, C.S., & Elliott, E. S. (1988). A Social-Cognitive Approach to Motivation and Personality. Psychological Review, 95(2), 256-273.
• Ames, C., & Archer, J. (1988). Achievement goals in the classroom: Students' learning strategies and motivation processes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(3), 260-267
• Caprara, G. V., Vecchione, M., Alessandri, G., Gerbino, M., & Barbaranelli, C. (2010). The contribution of personality traits and self-efficacy beliefs to academic achievement: A longitudinal study. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(1), 78-96.
• Crow, S. R. (2009). Exploring the experiences of upper elementary school children who are intrinsically motivated to seek information. Emporia State University.
• Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627-668.
• Korthagen, F. A. (2010). Situated learning theory and the pedagogy of teacher education: Towards an integrative view of teacher behavior and teacher learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(1), 98-106.
• Rakes, G. C., & Dunn, K. E. (2010). The impact of online graduate students' motivation and self-regulation on academic procrastination. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 9(1), 78-93.
• Ratelle, C. F., Guay, F., Vallerand, R. J., Larose, S., & Senecal, C. (2007). Autonomous, controlled, and amotivated types of academic motivation: A person-oriented analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology,, 99(4), 734-746.
• Schunk, D. H. (1991). Self-Efficacy and Academic Motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26(3-4), 207-231.
• Zimmerman, B. J., Bandera, A., & Martinez-Pons, M. (1992). Self-Motivation for Academic Attainment: The Role of Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Personal Goal Setting. American Educational Research Journal, 29(3), 663-676.