Motivation for Psychological Practice

Project Description

ACME is partnering with community organizations, frontline support workers, and practicing psychologists to research the potential for motivation in supporting psychological assessment and intervention. There is lots more coming, so please check back. We will update this site regularly with resources and project information as it unfolds. 

Special issue on Motivation in School Psychology

In collaboration with colleagues primarily across Canada, Dr. Daniels guest edited a special issue in the Canadian Journal of School Psychology. Authors tailored motivation theory, content, and evidence to the work of school psychologists creating a primer for psychologists who are interested in better understanding the rich body of literature in motivation and its potential to support client outcomes. Click each article for access. 

Introduction to the special issue

Achievement Goal theory

Mindset theory

Self-determination theory

Clinical Guide for Growth Focused Practice

During the 2021-2022 academic year we partnered with Catholic Social Services FASD programs to better understand motivational challenges they face and to create and pilot motivation resources that could benefit frontline staff. This Clinical Guide represents the current development from that partnership and is intended to guide frontline staff in implementing growth focused practices throughout their work. Our main goal is for frontline care staff to approach their client relationships orientated to growth and honed in on progress. Towards this goal, we have created growth oriented materials for use:

Each tangible resource is accompanied by guiding statements for the decision and implementation directions to support their use. The intention is to come alongside existing processes and offer motivation-focused resources and perspectives without increasing work demands. 

Online Motivation Measures For Psychological Practice

One barrier to considering the role of motivation in psychological assessment and intervention is because of a lack of tools to easily administer, measure, and score motivation constructs. We have created freely accessible online versions of five of the most common constructs in motivation for you to use with clients. Click each link to access the survey and be able to download a PDF report offering interpretations for your records. 

Measure students' mindsets: link

Measure students' achievement goals: link

Measure students' basic psychological needs: link

Measure students' self-efficacy: link

Measure students' motivation beliefs: link

Current Research Initiatives with Lakeland 

Lakeland FASD: In 2024 we will be working with Lakeland FASD to empirically test how embedding motivation principles into psychological report writing can has an impact on how they are received by clients and used by those involved in providing intervention and support. If you are a practicing psychologist and would like to participate, let us know and we'll be in contact. 

Work in Progress

Manuscript In Revision

In this pre-print Daniels and her doctoral students explain which existing tools are best suited to measuring motivation in psychological practice. 

Book coming in 2024

Keep your eyes open in 2024 for Pei and Daniels' forthcoming book introducing the AIM Model: Assessment and Intervention for Motivation. 

We recommend interested psychologists visit Dr. Kevin McGrew's mindhub website and explore his thinking and writing about how motivation constructs can hold an important role in psychological practice "Beyond IQ" https://themindhub.com/special-projects/beyond-iq. His Cognitive-Affective-Motivation Model of Learning is described in the Special Issue linked here.

Professional Development in Motivation

If you are interesting in learning about the potential role of motivation in your organization or work contact Dr. Daniels at lia.daniels@ualberta.ca.