Psychological-pedagogical analysis of motives behind attitudes of schoolchildren to a new subject "Basics of the information science and computers" has been performed. An attempt is made to represent them as a motivational system and to relate elements of the latter to such socially approved qualities (in the personality of the schoolchild) as industriousness and love for work, collectivism, responsibility, creative attitudes to work, discipline, social activity. A conclusion is made that enhancing motivation for the study of computers can be done not only through improvements in the curriculum and in the subject-matter as such but also through activating corresponding personality traits and values.