BBA, Kent State University, 2016, College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Ambassador Crawford / Department of Management and Information Systems

Through an investigation of the six factors of Academic Intrinsic Motivation [AIM] as outlined by Shia (1998), namely the need to know, the need to achieve, peer acceptance, authority expectations, power motivation, and the fear of failure; this study sought to determine if any or all AIM factors influenced academic performance of students attending a 4-year public higher education institution in Ohio. A literature review was conducted with a focus on student motivation, and it was determined that few studies had focused on these six factors of academic intrinsic motivation. This study sought to determine what, if any, relationship existed among the factors of AIM and between academic performance and the factors of AIM for college students attending a public 4-year public higher education institution in Ohio. An online survey, the Revised Online AIM Survey (AIMS-R), was created from the original AIM questionnaire created by Shia (1998). A population of over 4,000 students was invited to participate in the AIMS-R survey and 664 responded, representing a response rate of 16.6%. Of those who responded, 528 completed all of the questions for the subscales of the AIMS-R survey, representing 13.2%, and were selected for inclusion in the data analysis. Four hundred and sixty two of the 528 participants completed the AIMS-R demographic questions, representing 11.6%, and these 462 complete responses were used to test the hypothesis statements for this study. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the results of the AIMS-R data.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Psychology

Shared reward pathways in the brain unveil the potential for the development of dependence on a variety of substances, including commonly recognized drugs of abuse and, more insidiously, sugar. Sugar overconsumption has been associated with compulsivity and impulsivity repetitive behaviors which are predictors of later substance abuse. Furthermore, previous research has shown that rats can develop symptoms mirroring addiction such as binging, craving, tolerance, and withdrawal in response to sugar alone. Motivation research has indicated that impaired reward relativity is a key component of vulnerability to addiction. The ability of an animal to discriminate between differing levels of rewards for the amount of work exerted to receive that reward may predict later addictive behavior to a variety of substances. This thesis examined the appetitive and consummatory behavior of non-food restricted female Wistar rats in self-administration tasks of sucrose and ethanol solutions. Relative reward effects were evaluated by using trials that differ in time of access to the reward (20s vs 10s vs 5s). The results suggest that non-food restricted Wistar rats show discrimination between substance and length of trial, as well as some sensitivity to intra-session alterations in ethanol reward. They exhibit diminished sensitivity to sucrose in consumption and lick rate. Behavioral measures like consumption and nosepoke latency had some predictive potential in regard to behavioral response to ethanol. The incentive contrast paradigm used in this project allows a closer examination of the motivational processes shared by alcohol and sugar that could result in addiction. Using natural reward sensitivity to predict future addiction could aid significantly in preventing and treating substance use disorders.

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2021, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

The health care field continues to expand with an increasing need for health care professionals, however for allied health fields, this need is not being met, resulting in a shortage of professionals. This shortage is amplified in the underrepresented minority population. This issue partially stems from low enrollment into academic majors in the health sciences. To address these needs and investigate low enrollment rates, motivations of students choosing majors in the health sciences need to be understood. Motivation can be categorized as intrinsic (for the enjoyment of a decision) or extrinsic (for an outside goal). Studies have shown that students who are intrinsically motivated are more likely to choose a career in health care and have improved retention and rates of satisfaction. 188 first year students in academic majors in the health sciences were surveyed to determine their dominant motivation mechanism and their self-perceived cognitive competence. These students were, on average, more intrinsically motivated and no significant difference was found between the motivation mechanisms of underrepresented minority and non-underrepresented minority students. It was found most of the participants were influenced by a current health care professional and their major deterrent from a career in health care was the education involved. These findings provide guidance to universities to improve their recruitment methods into the health sciences. Improved recruitment can lead to improved diversity and lessened health disparities.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Studies, Xavier University, 2020, Leadership Studies and Human Resource Development

This study was designed to examine the impact of witnesses' participation in the Cincinnati Citizens Respect Our Witnesses (CCROW) witness support program on decisions whether to cooperate in violent felony cases and the potentially moderating effects of approach and avoidance motivation (Elliot & Thrash, 2002) on those decisions. The study employed Carver & White's (1994) BIS/BAS scale to assess approach and avoidance motivation and Cincinnati Police Department archival data documenting the levels of cooperation among witnesses of violent crimes and their participation in a program designed to protect and support such individuals in one Mid-Western urban community. An overview of contemporary research related to approach and avoidance motivation theory and witness cooperation establishes areas of intersection between these lines of research, but not direct tests of the relationship among these variables. The literature highlights a variety of aspects related to community support and themes related to witness cooperation including historical aspects of the no-snitch mentality and witness intimidation. Review of previous research explores themes related to approach-avoidance motivation: goal setting, self-regulation, and the need for relatedness and affiliation. This review determined current research is lacking on the relationship between community support and witness cooperation, as well as witness motivation to cooperate. The review of literature also established that witness cooperation has been a long-standing phenomenon within the legal system (Cannavale 1976), and civic engagement in a variety of ways can lead to a decrease in crime rates (Masiloane and Marais 2009). Given that witness non-cooperation continues to persist, this study was designed to explore the effectiveness of the CCROW program in predicting cooperation among the witnesses of violent crimes, and whether differences in participants' motivational profile moderates program effectiveness. Data (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2019, Curriculum and Instruction: Educational Technology

This study examined the effects of academic motivation on the use of academic support interventions by college students. Many higher education institutions offer academic support interventions, specifically peer-led learning assistance support programs such as tutoring appointments and Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions, with a goal of improving student outcomes including retention and graduation rates. However, most college students do not access the available interventions. The low participation in academic support interventions indicates that there may be a problem with the design of the interventions. Applying instructional design principles to the problem is an effective method to address the problem of low student participation. An important first step in the instructional design process is to determine the learner characteristics of students who do and do not use the academic support interventions. The Academic Motivation Survey for college students, AMS-C 28, survey instrument with 28 items was used to collect data from 400 undergraduate students at a mid-sized Midwestern public university. A MANOVA analysis revealed that there are differences in academic motivation between students who do and do not use academic support interventions. There are also differences between students who use the interventions frequently and those who do not. Additionally, female students have different academic motivation characteristics than male students. Furthermore, there are academic motivation differences between students with high and low self-reported grade point averages. Lastly, the study indicated that there is an opportunity to revise the design and messaging about the academic support interventions to be more relevant to specific student population groups with the goal of increasing student rates of usage.

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2009, College of Education and Human Services

This study examines motivations to quit smoking within the theoretical context of self-theories (Dweck, 2000). It investigates whether self-theories play a significant predictive role in motivating adults to quit smoking. A convenience sample of 197 adult current smokers and ex-smokers in northeast Ohio completed on line or paper versions of the Smoking Questionnaire, an instrument which included the 6-item Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence, 3- items from the Self-Theory of Intelligence Self-Form for Adults, and 23 items constructed by the researcher. Descriptive analyses indicate that the sample was 66% female, 77% white, 83% college educated, and of varied ages and incomes. Stepwise logistic regression analyses reveal 4 predictors of smoking cessation success: self-theory of smoking, the presence of other smokers in the household, annual household income, and strength of intention (motivation) to stop smoking. Logistic regression analyses also indicate that self-theory of smoking and perceived helpfulness of nicotine replacement therapy are statistically significantly predictive of strength of intention (motivation) to stop smoking. Self-theory of intelligence was not a significant predictor of smoking cessation motivation or behavior. Data indicate that self-theory of smoking and self-theory of intelligence are independent and domain specific in this sample. This research indicates that self-theories play a significant role in smoking cessation and that self-theories of smoking are as potent as nicotine replacement therapy in motivating individuals to stop smoking. This research has important implications for cessation program planners and health educators and many implications for additional research on the role of self-theories in health behavior change.

Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Reading

Reading education is a fundamental aspect of literacy development, however, it is often times difficult to discover what truly motivates children to read. This study was created as a way of trying to further identify the motivation behind students' book preferences when given the opportunity to self-select. Several studies have been previously conducted that examine similar motivational factors, such as author, genre, and topic. This study delved deeper into the physical characteristics of books that motivate students after their reading interests have been considered. Twenty-nine fourth grade students and sixty-three eighth grade students were asked to take a brief questionnaire that discussed the physical factors that most impact their selection. Following the questionnaire, five were selected from each grade level to take part in a short interview session that was created to gain further insight into their reasons and methods for selecting books. The results from the questionnaires were then analyzed and tallied onto a spreadsheet to look for the patterns and themes. The interview sessions were transcribed and used to support reasoning for choosing a particular factor. The majority of the fourth grade students were influenced by the front cover, while eighth grade students were found to be most influenced by the back-of-the-book summary found on books. However, the researcher concluded that the same top three factors were considered by both fourth and eighth grade students.

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2010, Leadership Studies

This study examined the relationships between undergraduate leaders' self-perceptions of their transformational and transactional leadership behaviors and their sources of work motivation. The sample was comprised of 145 elected and appointed leaders at a mid-west university. The survey included both the Motivation Sources Inventory and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Other survey items collected demographic and leadership-experience data. Participants overall scored higher for transformational self-perceived behaviors than for transactional, and higher for intrinsic motivation than extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation related positively to transformational self-perceived behaviors, and extrinsic motivation related positively to transactional self-perceived behaviors. By understanding undergraduates' self-perceptions of their leadership behaviors and motivation, models and methods can be developed to foster and strengthen perspectives that embrace situational application of transformational and transactional behaviors.

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2008, Leadership and Change

NASA is an organization known for pushing the envelope of engineering and scientific achievement. It can be argued that engineers working for NASA are intrinsically highly motivated due to the nature of the work and the mission of NASA. This study explores how supervisor behaviors, both intrinsic and extrinsic and demographic factors influence motivation of NASA Goddard engineers in their current environment. Recent Congressional and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policies, such as full cost accounting, levy strict oversight of project spending. As a result of these policies, NASA engineers must now focus their attention on getting assigned work on funded projects in addition to pursuing technical innovation and creativity. The literature is replete with previous studies on motivation of engineers and scientists. These studies investigated Maslow (1970), Vroom (1964), Herzberg (1971), and Deci's (1975) theories of motivation. Today, the workplace is much more diverse with regard to race, gender, and age. A web-based survey was used to collect data from a sample of engineers at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. 260 out of 583 engineers responded to the survey. 238 cases provided useable data for analysis. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed the demographic categories of females and non-whites did not significantly predict the level of motivation of engineers. Age was a significant factor influencing motivation. The age group of 39 and under had less of an influence on motivation and the age group of 40 and over had more of an influence. The over 60 age group had a very significant positive influence on motivation. Other significant factors influencing motivation were: supervisor behaviors, intrinsic factors such as feedback and competence, and extrinsic factors such as benefits, rewards and promotions. The results support the argument that NASA engineers are motivated by getting feedback from their immediate project supervisor, that they feel competent (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership

Teacher educators play a multifaceted role in designing and implementing curriculum to nurture preservice teachers' growth in content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and teaching efficacy. Amidst evolving educational landscapes and diverse classroom environments, there's an increasing emphasis on fostering teacher agency and autonomy to navigate these complexities effectively, particularly in unique contexts such as School-based Agricultural Education (SBAE). Self-Determination Theory was used as a guiding lens for this study and offers a comprehensive framework for understanding human motivation. Supporting the basic psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence can enhance students' motivation, academic outcomes, self-regulation, and well-being. Research on motivation within the context of SBAE has seen considerable growth in recent years. Scholars who investigate the relationship between motivation and engagement agree that engagement consists of three main components: behavioral engagement, emotional/affective engagement, and cognitive engagement. However, scholars applying Self-Determination Theory to the study of student engagement have delved into how autonomous motivation encourages a fourth type of engagement, agentic engagement. Through this grounded theory study, I aimed to conceptualize the beliefs of agriculture teacher educators regarding student motivation and agentic engagement within the context of SBAE teacher preparation programs. Two research questions guided this study: (1) What do SBAE teacher educators believe about student motivation and agency within a teacher preparation program? and (2) How do SBAE teacher educators integrate beliefs of student motivation and agency within a teacher preparation program? Grounded theory was used to generate a substantive theory for SBAE teacher educators to conceptualize student agency and motivation. Working under a pragmatic lens, I aimed to capture SBAE teacher educators' experiences with (open full item for complete abstract)

EDD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

This study aimed to identify athletic training student intrinsic motivation, with subscales of interest/enjoyment, perceived competence, effort/importance, pressure/tension, perceived choice, value/usefulness, and relatedness, based on the intrinsic motivation inventory (IMI). It also evaluated the effects of feedback as facilitators and barriers to intrinsic motivation in clinical education. Athletic training student feedback was obtained by asking open-ended journaling questions related to how their preceptor interacted with them and provided feedback in their clinical rotation. A mixed-methods approach was utilized for this study. There was a significant difference in pre-post IMI scores in subscales of interest/enjoyment, perceived choice, and value/usefulness. Qualitatively, athletic training students identified active communication, autonomous practice, theory to practice, culture and setting, and nature of feedback as key facilitators to motivation from preceptor feedback. Athletic training students identified key barriers to intrinsic motivation as excessive downtime at clinical sites, extrinsic factors, placement alignment, preceptor stress, and stagnant environment.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Higher Education Administration

Online student enrollment has grown over the past 20 years and accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic (U.S. DOE, 1999, 2021c). For students to be successful in their courses, they must understand their self-regulation and motivation (Seli & Dembo, 2020). Self-regulation involves goal setting, metacognition, help-seeking, time management, and outcome strategies. Motivation involves intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and self-efficacy. Self-regulated learning and motivation use two theoretical frameworks. Zimmerman's self-regulated learning theory concentrated on an online environment (Zimmerman & Moylan, 2009). Vygotsky's sociocultural theory centered on understanding students' learning experiences in a face-to-face environment (McCaslin & Hickey, 2001), but his theory can be applied to online learning (Tu & Yen, 2007). The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand students' perceptions of their self-regulation and motivation in online learning to help administrators and faculty know where students perceived they were when they began or continued throughout their programs to help foster students' future learning. Self-regulation and motivation were operationalized through my survey with six subscales across the two measures. The study found positive, strong, significant relationships between students' self-regulation and motivation with all, new, and continuing online students; continuing students had the strongest overall self-regulation and motivation relationship. The strongest intercorrelation relationships were between self-efficacy and outcome strategies for all, new, and continuing students, and the weakest intercorrelation relationships were between help-seeking and all subscales. The study found no overall group differences in self-regulation and motivation of online students, with two exceptions. Statistically significant differences between genders on the self-efficacy subscale were found (p = .04), with female students having greater se (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Psychology

Previous research has found that some motives have a significant relationship with problematic gaming, likely influenced or moderated by other factors. Self-Determination Theory suggests that people are intrinsically motivated to grow and develop themselves under assumption that basic psychological needs (BPN) are met. The basic psychological need sub theory posits that people desire to satisfy needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. The gaming motives of socialization and skill development overlap with the relatedness and competence BPNs respectively, and likely play a role in the desire of satisfying BPNs and the relationship between gaming motives and problematic gaming. The current work sought to examine how BPNs relate to both gaming motives and gaming outcomes, and test whether BPN fulfillment would moderate links between specific gaming motives (socialization and skill development motives) and problematic gaming. Results revealed multiple significant correlations between satisfaction of BPNs and symptoms of gaming disorder. The satisfaction and frustration of BPNs were significant moderators of the relationship between socialization/skill building motives, and symptoms of gaming disorder. Findings suggest that the satisfaction and frustration of BPNs should be considered and addressed when observing gaming disorder symptoms, as having methods to satisfy frustrated BPNs aside from gaming alone would likely reduce gaming disorder symptoms.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Anatomy

Neurophobia, defined as the fear of and lack of confidence with clinical neurology, is a well-documented phenomenon in medical students and junior doctors. Previous studies have identified low knowledge of basic neuroanatomy as one of the largest drivers of neurophobia, often stemming from ineffective pedagogical approaches. It is thought that neurophobia begins when students first encounter academic neuroscience; however, the prevalence and associated risk factors of neurophobia in undergraduate students is not known. Investigating these relationships in this population is relevant because they represent a pipeline for future neurologists and associated healthcare professionals. Furthermore, interventions for phobias are most effective when started early. The aim of the first study was to provide an in-depth analysis of the prevalence and factors contributing to neurophobia among undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory neuroanatomy course at The Ohio State University. The presence of neurophobia in this population was found to be comparable to that reported in medical students and junior doctors. Additionally, neurophobic students were found to have significantly higher cognitive load, assessment anxiety, and perceived difficulty, as well as lower intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and course grades compared to their non-neurophobic peers. This highlights the urgent need for early intervention, suggesting that techniques to manage cognitive load and enhance motivation could be beneficial. Based on the principles of cognitive load theory, self-determination theory, and social cognitive theory, 11 e-learning modules were developed for the two most difficult blocks in the undergraduate neuroanatomy curriculum. Featuring interactive slides with toggleable animations, practice questions with explanations, video content, and clinical scenarios, these modules aimed to manage cognitive load and enhance motivation of neuroanatomy learners. The aim of the sec (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Agricultural and Extension Education

The single most important factor that influences motivation in a learning environment is the teacher (Anderman, 2021). Teachers must be able to assess and influence their students' motivation to have an effective learning environment (Bipp & van Dam, 2014; Fortier et al., 1995; Ryan & Deci, 2020; Schunk et al., 2019; Wigfield & Koenka, 2020). Motivation can be built using different tactics based upon a large quantity of factors including student age, teacher age, course content, learning environment setup, and student interest in the content (Ryan & Deci, 2020; Patrick, 2022; Schunk et al., 2019; Wigfield & Koenka, 2020). Career-Technical Education (CTE) is unique from other education subjects because CTE courses are typically not required and students, alongside their parents or guardians, decide to enroll in the program annually. School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) is just one of many areas with CTE programming. SBAE programs can offer a collection of unique activities within their program thanks to the three parts of the program: agriculture classroom, Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), and FFA. SBAE programs are motivational to their students because of the novelty of events or activities for students to participate within (Baker & Robinson, 2017). Additionally, using a variety of coaching techniques and providing student-specific support is essential to keeping students motivated and interested in activities (Bowling, 2017; Curry 2017). The purpose of this quantitative study was to explain the relationship among student demographic information (age and years of enrollment in SBAE), and success expectancies, utility value, relative costs on the students' achievement-related choices and performance within the SBAE program. Objective one utilized descriptive methods to learn about the perspectives held by students (n = 70) regarding their expectancies for success within the SBAE program. The findings regarding the success expectancies for the stude (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2022, Business Administration

The problem facing organizations is that of high employee turnover and lack of employee engagement. The lack of employee commitment caused by skill shortages and economic growth undermines the organization's ability to survive and compete. Previous work ethic and job satisfaction research have established a statistically significant positive correlation between reduced employee turnover and employee commitment. This quantitative research study uses a purposeful sample of MBA students to examine if and to what extent a relationship exists between work ethic and job satisfaction in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This population was selected because they are both students and full-time employees across multiple industries. Rather than rely on religious or cultural values, the study is based on Self Determination Theory (SDT), which provides a universal base to explore a possible relationship between an individual's work ethic and job satisfaction. This theoretical perspective shifts the focus of traditional work ethic and job satisfaction values from cultural and religious to individual development as it interacts with the perceived opportunity. This research establishes a universal base that can apply across similar and dissimilar cultures. Finding from this data indicate a strong correlation between Employability Skills Assessment (work ethic) and job satisfaction A moderate correlation was established between the sub-factors of initiative, dependability, and interpersonal skills. Graduating students who master the necessary employability skills will be more successful according to the ESA scores and more likely to achieve job satisfaction.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Psychology/Industrial-Organizational

Past research has focused on positive antecedents and outcomes of job crafting at the expense of considering any potential costs or downsides that may arise from this behavior. Although job crafting is defined as a volitional, employee-driven process (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001), certain work environments and situations may create external forces, such as constraints or pressures, that motivate employees to engage in job crafting. Although some researchers have begun to explore detrimental forms of job crafting, such as avoidance job crafting (Bruning & Campion, 2019), there has been no focus on whether the motivation behind job crafting matters for the outcomes experienced. To address this, two studies were developed to examine the relation between job crafting motivation and counterproductive work behavior through the lens of cognitive sensemaking and attributions. Study 1 used a cross-sectional design with a sample of 636 working adults from Amazon's Mechanical Turk to provide initial evidence of an association between externally-motivated job crafting and CWB. Study 2 employed an experimental design using a subsample of participants from Study 1 (n = 338) to provide an alternative test of the hypothesized externally-motivated job crafting-CWB relation. For Study 2, vignettes were used to experimentally manipulate whether job crafting was internally- versus externally-motivated and participants were then asked to reflect on how much CWB they anticipated a typical worker to engage in if they experienced the conditions outlined in the vignette. Results from both studies supported the assertion that externally-motivated job crafting, but not internally-motivated job crafting, is associated with increased CWB. These findings provide evidence that the motivation behind why an employee job crafts plays an important role in determining why and when they might also engage in CWB, challenging the perception that job crafting is associated only with positive outco (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2020, Psychology

While effortful self-control can be useful in pursuing a goal to eat healthy, this is not the only path to self-regulatory success. By taking advantage of processes that can operate automatically and without effort, the process of self-regulation can be made easier (e.g., Fujita & Han, 2009). Past research has demonstrated that individuals high (vs. low) in want-to motivation toward the goal of eating healthy are more successful in self-regulation while putting in less effort (Milyavskaya et al., 2015), but the mechanisms underlying this easy success are not yet well understood. In two studies, we explore the role of taste perceptions of healthy foods as a potential mechanism through which want-to motivation could promote healthy eating. We also test the moderating role of imagery perspective (Libby & Eibach, 2011) on these processes. We found that high (vs. low) want-to individuals forecasted eating healthier foods, at least in part because they found healthy (vs. unhealthy) foods to be tasty. Results suggest that taste perceptions of healthy foods explain a considerable portion of the difference between individuals high and low in want-to motivation, and that learning to enjoy healthy foods—or seeking out enjoyable healthy foods—could be a route to success in pursuing a healthy eating goal. The moderating role of perspective on these processes was unclear but had no overall impact on the healthiness of eating forecasts made by high (vs. low) want-to individuals. We discuss how these results might generalize to other domains of self-regulation, and how finding enjoyment in pursuing a goal could have far-reaching implications in the processes of self-regulation.

Master of Arts, Case Western Reserve University, 2019, Psychology

Individuals with higher working memory capacities are better at spontaneously employing emotion regulation strategies to minimize negative affect. Individuals who consume alcohol possess an implicit approach bias toward alcohol-related stimuli, and negative affect may increase this bias in those who drink to regulate their emotions. This study investigated the relationship between working memory capacity, spontaneous emotion regulation, and implicit alcohol approach motivation. Data were collected from 115 Introductory Psychology students. Measures included a working memory task, a measurement of alcohol approach motivation before and after a negative affect induction, and self-report measures. Findings did not support the hypothesis that those with higher working memory capacities will be better able to regulate their emotions after the negative affect induction, nor did it support the hypothesis that individuals with lower working memory capacities will show an increased approach bias toward alcohol in the alcohol approach-avoidance task after the negative affect induction.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2019, Curriculum and Instruction: Educational Technology

The value of personal experience in learning is a concept that has been around for thousands of years dating back to the time of Confucius in 450 B.C. Today, personal experience can be accomplished through immersive technology, such as augmented reality, a technology simulating real-world and authentic experiences. Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning (1984) and Dale's Cone of Experience (1946) theorized not only the importance of learning by doing, but that the type or authenticity of the experience is important in learning outcomes, retention, and learner motivation. Immersive technology has advanced to the point that it is not only accessible, but also user friendly. However, research into the impact of immersive technology remains focused in K-12 settings with students as the consumers, rather than creators of authentic experiences. The purpose of this study was to refocus the research to higher education preservice teachers, a unique population who are the potential creators of these experiences. The study investigated if the use of immersive technology in a preservice teacher project-based learning experience influenced knowledge attainment and retention of a key pedagogical concept and if it affected preservice teacher motivation. The key pedagogical concept selected for the study was Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The individual project-based learning experience required preservice teachers to implement these principles into a functional lesson appropriate for their grade level and subject. The study utilized a baseline/post/posttest design and the Instructional Materials Motivational Survey (IMMS) as instruments. The results of the level of knowledge attainment and retention were inconclusive due to underperformance of the baseline/post/posttest instrument. A more functional, hands-on test of the application of the UDL principle would provide more reliable results. In the motivation construct, the results indicated that the type of ex (open full item for complete abstract)