Assessment Overview
For this assessment, students need to collaborate in groups of at least 3 to perform the 3 essential tasks for a filmed 10-minute interview reflecting on a given student’s history with cultural messaging and its impact on one domain of their own motivation.
The production of the video requires 3 distinct roles, and each student is to perform each role once:
1) Interview Subject (18 points)
- This is the main role in any given interview.
- The person reflects on their own motivated experience in the context of their upbringing and cultural context.
- They demonstrate their understanding of their chosen motivational system and how it functions.
2) Interviewer (8 points)
- This is a facilitating role.
- The interviewer guides the Interview Subject through the basic questions scaffolding the task.
- They also ask appropriate in-the-moment questions to clarify, probe, or challenge the Interview Subject’s responses.
3) Videographer (4 points)
- This is a minor support role.
- The videographer films the interview while it takes place.
- They edit the footage for flow and brevity.
Each student will therefore contribute to 3 distinct interview videos, but their individual score out of 30 will be the sum of their contributed components across those 3 videos.
Selection of Motivational System
Interview Subjects are to select a motivational system from the following list (covered over the course of the semester):
- ☐ Tiredness and sleeping behaviour
- ☐ Hunger and eating behaviour
- ☐ Fear and avoidance behaviour
- ☐ Anger and aggressive behaviour
- ☐ Shame/Guilt and behaviours of social appeasement and cohesion
- ☐ Pride and behaviours of self-satisfaction
- ☐ Love and behaviours of attachment and dependency
- ☐ Sexual Desire and sexual behaviour (in the Greek culture)
Preparation for the Interview
- Reflect on the kinds of messages, incentives, and lessons you have been exposed to as part of your cultural background.
- Draw on information provided in lectures and readings to examine how your acquired beliefs, assumptions, and expectations shape the functioning of your chosen motivational system.
- Additional research may be required to:
- Uncover useful terminology or points of cultural comparison.
- Clarify how sensitive the functioning of the motivational system is to different assumptions and incentives.
Note: The provided example videos can serve as templates for meaningful prepared responses to the basic interview questions.
Basic Interview Questions
Hello [Interview Subject Name], thank you for taking the time to speak with me. We are here to discuss the impact of your cultural background on your experience of [Chosen Motivational System].
- How would you describe your cultural background?
- What lessons did you learn from your cultural or family upbringing about [Chosen Motivational System]?
- How do you think the overall functioning of your [Chosen Motivational System] responses has been influenced by these messages?
- Have your personal beliefs about [Chosen Motivational System] changed over the course of your life?
- If you could change one thing about how your [Chosen Motivational System] system functions, what would it be and how do you think it could be accomplished?
Assessment Summary
The assessment required students to work collaboratively in groups of at least three to produce a 10-minute filmed interview reflecting on a student’s personal history with cultural messaging and its impact on one domain of motivation.
Each student assumed three distinct roles across multiple interviews:
- Interview Subject (18 points) – Reflecting on personal experiences and demonstrating understanding of a chosen motivational system.
- Interviewer (8 points) – Guiding the Interview Subject through structured and spontaneous questions to clarify, probe, or expand on responses.
- Videographer (4 points) – Filming and editing the interview for clarity and flow.
Each student contributed to three separate interviews, with their final score being the sum of their contributions across all roles.
Motivational systems included: tiredness, hunger, fear, anger, shame/guilt, pride, love, and sexual desire (specifically in Greek culture).
Preparation required students to:
- Reflect on cultural messages and incentives received during upbringing.
- Apply lecture content and readings to analyze how beliefs and assumptions influenced their chosen motivational system.
- Conduct additional research as needed to clarify terminology, cultural comparisons, and system sensitivities.
Basic interview questions provided a structured guide, while interviewers were encouraged to use open-ended follow-ups for deeper insights