Mastery motivation in children with complex communication needs: longitudinal data analysis

Abstract

This study compared longitudinal changes in mastery motivation during parent-child free play for 37 children with complex communication needs. Mastery motivation manifests as a willingness to work hard at tasks that are challenging, which is an important quality to overcoming the challenges involved in successful expressive communication using AAC. Unprompted parent-child play episodes were identified in three assessment sessions over an 18-month period and coded for nine categories of mastery motivation in social and object play. All of the object-oriented mastery motivation categories and one social mastery motivation category showed an influence of motor skills after controlling for receptive language. Object play elicited significantly more of all of the object-focused mastery motivation categories than social play, and social play elicited more of one type of social-focused mastery motivation behavior than object play. Mastery motivation variables did not differ significantly over time for children. Potential physical and interpersonal influences on mastery motivation for parents and children with complex communication needs are discussed, including broadening the procedures and definitions of mastery motivation beyond object-oriented measurements for children with complex communication needs.

Contextual Factors and Mastery Motivation in Young Children with and without Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review

“…In the seven observational or interventional studies, there were two major types of motivation-related measures, including standardized measurements and observations of structured tasks or free play (Table 3 ). Standardized measurements included the assessment tool and parents’ questionnaire ( 7 , 22 , 24 , 25 ), while observation involved applications of structured tasks with defined psychometric properties ( 7 , 21 – 24 , 26 ). Three studies used both methods, one used a standardized measurement or questionnaire only, and three used observation only (by an independent person) (Table 3 ).…”

“…In addition, in two studies, assessments of children’s curiosity during activities and interactions with parents during activities were also considered ( 23 , 24 ). In six observational studies, the children were asked to conduct structured tasks or carry out free play with the therapist or researcher observing their interactions with parents ( 7 , 21 , 22 , 26 ) or peers ( 23 , 24 ). The only motivation-related interventional study aimed to modify the social and physical environments to enhance children’s mastery motivation ( 25 ).…”

“…Three studies showed that there was no significant difference in mastery motivation between children with atypical development and TD while interacting with parents ( 7 , 21 , 22 ). In addition, studies indicated that several factors associated with physical impairments, social play, degree of prematurity, history of a seizure disorder, maternal didactic interaction, and caregivers’ perceptions of children’s motivation may influence preschooler’s mastery motivation ( 7 , 21 – 23 , 26 ). Jennings et al ( 23 ) reported that motivation of preschool children increased with age; however, social experience, which varied with different cognition degrees, significantly contributed to the development of motivation.…”

“…Jennings et al ( 23 ) reported that motivation of preschool children increased with age; however, social experience, which varied with different cognition degrees, significantly contributed to the development of motivation. The findings of the five studies relating to the observations during structured or free play indicated the social experience from the interaction with parents or peers might result in different effects on mastery motivation ( 7 , 21 – 24 , 26 ); the positive interaction between parents and the child might promote his/her mastery motivation which is similar to the child with TD. Wang et al ( 7 , 22 ) also reported that if children with and those without developmental delay were assigned tasks corresponding to their mental age and with moderate difficulty, their motivation for mastery was the same.…”

Understanding the rejection and abandonment of augmentative and alternative communication systems by parents of children with complex communication needs

“…With regards to body structure and function, characteristics including cognition, degree of motor impairment, interaction style, receptive and expressive language, anxiety and self-determination are of possible influence (Brotherson, 2004;Finke & Quinn, 2012;Lund & Light, 2006;Medeiros, Cress, & Lambert, 2016;Ziviani, Poulsen, King, & Johnson, 2013). For example, parents are less likely to model a device at home if their child has effective non-symbolic communication skills in the absence of an AAC system or even limited speech (Bailey et al, 2006;Johnson et al, 2006;Smith & Hustad, 2015).…”