What Is Motivation?

Motivation is the process that initiates,

guides, and maintains goal-oriented
behaviors. It is what causes you to act,
whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce
thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge.
Motivation involves the biological, emotional,
social, and cognitive forces that activate
behavior. In everyday usage, the term
"motivation" is frequently used to
describe why a person does something. It is
the driving force behind human actions.
 Motivation doesn't just refer to the factors that
activate behaviors; it also involves the factors that
direct and maintain these goal-directed actions
(though such motives are rarely directly
observable). As a result, we often have to infer
the reasons why people do the things that they do
based on observable behaviors.
 What exactly lies behind the motivations for why
we act? Psychologists have proposed different 
theories of motivation, including drive theory, 
instinct theory, and humanistic theory (such as 
Maslow's hierarchy of needs). The reality is that
there are many different forces that guide and direct
our motivations.
 Types of Motivation
Different types of motivation are frequently
described as being either extrinsic or intrinsic:

• Extrinsic motivations are those that arise from

outside of the individual and often involve rewards
such as trophies, money, social recognition, or
praise.
• Intrinsic motivations are those that arise
from within the individual, such as doing
a complicated crossword puzzle purely
for the personal gratification of solving a
problem.
Uses
There are many different uses for motivation. It
serves as a guiding force for all human behavior,
but understanding how it works and the factors
that may impact it can be important in a number of
ways.
 Understanding motivation can:
Help improve the efficiency of people as they work
toward goals
Help people take action
Encourage people to engage in health-oriented
behaviors
Help people avoid unhealthy or maladaptive
behaviors such as risk-taking and addiction
 Help people feel more in control of their lives
Improve overall well-being and happiness
Impact
Anyone who has ever had a goal (like wanting to lose 20
pounds or run a marathon) probably immediately realizes that
simply having the desire to accomplish something is not
enough. Achieving such a goal requires the ability to persist
through obstacles and endurance to keep going in spite of
difficulties.
 There are three major components of motivation:
activation, persistence, and intensity.
 Activation involves the decision to initiate a behavior, such as
enrolling in a psychology class.
 Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though
obstacles may exist. An example of persistence would be
taking more psychology courses in order to earn a degree
although it requires a significant investment of time, energy,
and resources.
 Intensity can be seen in the concentration and vigor
that goes into pursuing a goal. For example, one
student might coast by without much effort, while
another student will study regularly, participate in
discussions, and take advantage of research
opportunities outside of class. The first student lacks
intensity, while the second pursues their educational
goals with greater intensity.
The degree of each of these components of
motivation can impact whether or not you achieve
your goal. Strong activation, for example, means
that you are more likely to start pursuing a goal.
Persistence and intensity will determine if you
keep working toward that goal and how much
effort you devote to reaching it
Tips
All people experience fluctuations in their motivation and
willpower. Sometimes you might feel fired up and highly
driven to reach your goals, while at other times you might feel
listless or unsure of what you want or how to achieve it.

Even if you're feeling low on motivation, there are steps you

can take that will keep you moving forward. Some things you
can do include:
 Adjust your goals to focus on things that really matter to you

 If you're tackling something that is just too big or too

overwhelming, break it up into smaller steps and try setting
your sights on achieving that first step toward progress

 Improve your confidence

 Remind yourself about what you achieved in the past and
what where your strengths lie
 If there are things you feel insecure about, try working on
making improvements in those areas so that you feel more
skilled and capable.
What to Do When You Have No Motivation
Potential Pitfalls
There are a few things you should watch for that might hurt
your motivation. These include:
 Quick fixes or all-or-nothing thinking. It's easy to feel unmotivated
if you can't fix something immediately or if you can't have it all at
once. Remind yourself that reaching your goals takes time.
 Thinking that one size fits all. Just because an approach or
method worked for someone else does not mean that it will
work for you. If something isn't helping you reach your goals
or is making you feel unmotivated, look for things that will
work better for you.

Talk to your doctor if you are feeling symptoms of apathy and

low mood that last longer than two weeks. Sometimes a
persistent lack of motivation might be tied to a mental health
condition such as depression.
 History of Motivation
What are the things that actually motivate us to act? Throughout
history, psychologists have proposed different theories to explain what
motivates human behavior. The following are some of the major
theories of motivation.
Instincts
The instinct theory of motivation suggests that behaviors are motivated
by instincts, which are fixed and inborn patterns of behavior.
Psychologists including William James, Sigmund Freud, and William
McDougal have proposed a number of basic human drives that
motivate behavior. Such instincts might include biological instincts that
are important for an organism's survival such as fear, cleanliness, and
love.
Drives and Needs
Many of your behaviors such as eating, drinking, and sleeping are
motivated by biology. You have a biological need for food, water, and
sleep. Therefore, you are motivated to eat, drink, and sleep. Drive theory
suggests that people have basic biological drives and that behaviors are
motivated by the need to fulfill these drives.

Arousal Levels
The arousal theory of motivation suggests that people are motivated to
engage in behaviors that help them maintain their optimal level of arousal.
A person with low arousal needs might pursue relaxing activities such as
reading a book, while those with high arousal needs might be motivated to
engage in exciting, thrill-seeking behaviors, such as motorcycle racing.
Understanding motivation is important in many areas of life,
from parenting to the workplace. You may want to set the
best goals and establish the right reward systems to motivate
others as well as to increase your own motivation.

Knowledge of motivating factors and manipulating them is

used in marketing and other aspects of industrial psychology.
It's an area where there are many myths and everyone can
benefit from knowing what works and what doesn't.
Thank You !!!