COGNITIVE AND MOTIVATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN TWO EXPERIMENTAL UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS IN BUSINESS

Abstract

The article investigates the developmental consequences of a problem oriented program for business majors entering their junior year at a midwestern university that was designed to raise the conceptual complexity of participating students. Subjects in the program suffered a decrease in conceptual complexity than did control group subjects, but gains in business knowledge were nearly identical in the two groups. Achievement motivation decreased more in the encounter group than in its control group.