What is the key factor of Expectancy Theory?

What is the key factor of Expectancy Theory?

• A. Motivation
• B. Theory of Trust
• C. Behavioral Predictability
• D. Personal Values

Answer: (A)

Expectancy Theory explains motivation as a result of beliefs about the link between effort, performance, and outcomes. The main factor is motivation itself, which arises when a person thinks that putting in effort will lead to good performance, that good performance will lead to valued rewards, and that those rewards are desirable. These three beliefs—effort leading to performance (expectancy), performance leading to rewards (instrumentality), and the value of the rewards (valence)—together shape how motivated someone will be to act. If any one of these beliefs is weak, motivation drops. The other options don’t capture this motivational process. Trust theory isn’t part of expectancy theory, and behavioral predictability is not the focus. Personal values influence how much a reward is valued (valence), but the driving factor in this theory is the overall motivation produced by the expectancy–instrumentality–valence chain.

Expectancy Theory explains motivation as a result of beliefs about the link between effort, performance, and outcomes. The main factor is motivation itself, which arises when a person thinks that putting in effort will lead to good performance, that good performance will lead to valued rewards, and that those rewards are desirable. These three beliefs—effort leading to performance (expectancy), performance leading to rewards (instrumentality), and the value of the rewards (valence)—together shape how motivated someone will be to act. If any one of these beliefs is weak, motivation drops.

The other options don’t capture this motivational process. Trust theory isn’t part of expectancy theory, and behavioral predictability is not the focus. Personal values influence how much a reward is valued (valence), but the driving factor in this theory is the overall motivation produced by the expectancy–instrumentality–valence chain.