Motivat

Definition of Motivation
• To be motivated means to be moved to do
something.
• A person who is energized or activated toward
an end is considered motivated.
 Definition of Motivation
• Rubin and McNeil (1983, quoted in Gross,
1996, p.96), for example, define motives as:
those causes that ‘ … energise, direct and
sustain a person’s behaviour (including
COGNITIVE
hunger, thirst, sex and curiosity’.
• AND whilst we all share these motives the way
that we behave in response to them is
uniquely individual. HUMANISTIC
PHYSIOLOGICAL
 Defining
Defining Motivation
Motivation
Motivation
The processes that account for an individual’s
intensity, direction, and persistence of effort
toward attaining a goal.

Key
KeyElements
Elements
• • Intensity:
Intensity:how
howhard
hardaaperson
persontries
tries
•• Direction:
Direction:toward
towardbeneficial
beneficialgoal
goal
•• Persistence:
Persistence:how
howlong
longaaperson
persontries
tries
 Defining Motivation
• Extrinsic motivation
– The desire to perform an act to meet external
demands or requirements
• Classical conditioning—associated stimuli
• Operant conditioning—consequences
• Social learning—models and imitation
• Social cognition—influence of others on thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors
 Defining Motivation
• Intrinsic motivation
– The desire to perform an act because it is
satisfying or pleasurable in and of itself
– Satisfies internal need or desire
• Biology
• Cognition
• Emotion
• Volition
• Spiritual
• Moral
Types of Motivation: Intrinsic and Extrinsic

• Intrinsic motivation refers to doing something because

it is inherently interesting or enjoyable.
• When intrinsically motivated a person is moved to act
for the fun or challenge entailed rather than because
of external prods, pressures, or rewards.
• intrinsic motivation was first acknowledged within
experimental studies of animal behavior, where it was
discovered that many organisms engage in exploratory,
playful, and curiosity-driven behaviors even in the
absence of reinforcement or reward (White, 1959).
Types of Motivation: Intrinsic and Extrinsic

• classroom and home environments can

facilitate intrinsic motivation by supporting
versus thwarting the needs for autonomy and
competence.
• However, it is critical to remember that intrinsic
motivation will occur only for activities that
hold intrinsic interest for an individual—those
that have the appeal of novelty, challenge, or
aesthetic value for that individual.
 Guess which one…
• A student who does his homework because he
fears parental sanctions
• a student who does the work because she
personally believes it is valuable for her
chosen career
• young children building towers of blocks,
color, and play dress-up
 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
 According to this theory, human behavior is related to
his/her needs, and is adjusted as per the nature of
needs to be satisfied.

 Maslow identified 5 sets of human needs arranged in

a hierarchy based on their importance and priority.

 When one set of needs have been met, they cease to

be a motivating factor, causing the next set to take its
place.
Abraham
Maslow
•Abraham Maslow h
as been considered
the Father
of Humanistic Psych
ology.
• He is famous for
proposing that
human motivation i
s based on a
hierarchy of needs
• At the bottom of the hierarchy of needs(1954)
are four sets of basic or “deficiency needs”,
which motivate us to gain something we lack.
• At the top are three sets of meta-needs or
growth needs, at which stage a person is not
motivated by a deficiency of anything, but by
the need to grow, to be something greater.
• Maslow maintained that the needs at the lower
levels had to be at least partially met before
those in the level above it became important
motivations for behavior.
• Thus when basics such as food and safety are
threatened, the need for these is a far greater
motivation of a person’s behavior than their need
for belongingness and love, or the higher needs
such as knowledge and appreciation of beauty.
 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Abraham Maslow
– Attempted to develop a theory of motivation that would
synthesize multiple theories
– Proposed two sets of needs
• Deficiency needs
• Growth needs
– Growth needs develop after deficiency needs are met
– Lowest unmet need will receive attention
– Believed that these motivational processes were central
to the human personality
 Meta
Needs

Basic
Needs
 Maslow’s Hierarchy
Self-
Being (growth)
Motivation increases Actualization Needs
as needs are met Need
Aesthetic Needs

Need to know & Understand

Motivation Esteem Needs Deficiency

decreases Belongingness & Love Needs Needs
as needs
are met Safety Needs

Physiological Needs

Copyright 2001 by Allyn and Bacon

Copyright 2001 by Allyn and Bacon
 AROUSAL THEORY
Relationship to performance.

Arousal & attentional narrowing.

Drive theory / Inverted U theory / Catastrophe theory.

 USEFUL DEFINITIONS
Arousal can be defined as:
• ‘a state of readiness to perform that helps motivate
performers’
• ‘the energised state, or the readiness for action that
motivates a performer to behave in a particular way’
• ‘physiological state of alertness & anticipation which
prepares the body for action’
 Theories of Arousal
We need the appropriate level of arousal / activation
for the action we are to perform (known as optimal
arousal), whether it is digesting a meal or catching a
cricket ball.
The effects of arousal can be either positive or negative.
High arousal can cause us to worry & become anxious,
which is negative if it isn’t controlled.
Raising arousal level can also cause a state of
‘readiness’ to perform – this is largely a positive
aspect & can enhance performance.
 Arousal Theory
• A theory suggesting that the aim of motivation is
to maintain an optimal level of arousal
• Arousal
– A state of alertness and mental and physical activation
– When arousal is too low, animals and humans seek to
increase stimulation
– When arousal is too high, animals and humans seek to
decrease stimulation