Designed for educators, researchers, practitioners, or anyone interested in maximizing human potential, Motivation for Learning and Performance outlines 50 key motivation principles based on the latest scientific evidence from the disciplines of psychology, education, business, athletics, and neurology. Using a highly applied and conversational style, the book is designed to inform the reader about how to diagnosis, analyze, and mediate learning and performance challenges influenced by motivation.
The book features chapters on the biopsychology of motivation, how motivation changes across the lifespan, and the important influence of culture on motivated behavior. Three chapters are devoted to practical strategies and the implementation of motivational change. Special sections are included on enhancing motivation at work, in the classroom, in competitive environments, and during online education.
Hoffman employs the innovative approach of using his interviews with "real" people including many notable personalities across diverse cultures and disciplines to illustrate motivated behavior. For example, readers will learn what motivated the colossal investment fraud masterminded by Bernie Madoff, the intimate thoughts of former NFL superstar Nick Lowery when he missed a field goal, and the joys and tribulations of Emmy-nominated "Curb your Enthusiasm" actress Cheryl Hines.
The book provides a practical, applied, and multi-disciplinary resource for anyone interested in motivation and performance, but especially for university students at the graduate or undergraduate level studying education, psychology, business, leadership, hospitality, sports management, or military science. Additionally, the writing style and eclectic nature of the text will appeal to readers of non-fiction who can use the book to gain self-awareness to enhance performance of themselves or others.
Author Biography:
Dr. Bobby Hoffman is an Associate Professor in the School of Teaching, Learning & Leadership at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida. He is a 2006 graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) with a PhD in Educational Psychology. He has also earned a Master’s degree in Human Resources Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He joined UCF in August 2006 after a 20-year career in human resources management and performance consulting working with the world's most successful companies including GE, NBC, KPMG, the NBA, along with other global technology, insurance, and pharmaceutical organizations. Currently, Bobby teaches a variety of classes at the graduate level in motivation, learning, cognition, and intelligence.
Dr. Hoffman has numerous scholarly publications in leading scientific journals in the field of educational psychology, performance consulting, and technology. Additionally, Dr. Hoffman has authored over thirty publications in the field of management and organizational development related to his previous consulting practice. Hoffman’s current line of research focuses upon motivation and specifically how cognition and motivation are entwined. His primary research focus is on “cognitive efficiency,” which investigates the role of optimal cognition when considering the costs related to learning and performance such as working memory, anxiety, and strategy use.
Dr. Hoffman is co-creator and former program director of UCF’s Applied Learning and Instruction Master’s program. In addition, Hoffman was program co-chair in 2011 for the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Division 15, Educational Psychology. He serves on several journal editorial boards including Contemporary Educational Psychology, Educational Psychology Review, and Educational Technology, Research & Development. When not devoting attention to teaching or research, Dr. Hoffman likes to spend time exercising, reading, traveling, mastering the Italian language, and focusing on the perpetual quest to motivate his two children, Robert and Rebecca.
Additional information on Dr. Hoffman can be reviewed on the UCF faculty page or through Google Scholar, or on his website http://www.findingmo.com/.
