Theories of Motivation, Essays (university) of Psychology

Download Theories of Motivation and more Essays (university) Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! THEORIES OF MOTIVATION What is Motivation? Motivation is nothing but driving and pulling forces both external and internal which resulted in the persistent behaviour directed towards achieving my particular goal of becoming priest. Motivation can be defined as an “inferred internal process that activates guides and maintains behaviour over time.” It is the force that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. The forces that lie beneath motivation can be biological, social, emotional or cognitive in nature. Now let us discuss various theories of motivation namely, Drive theory, incentive theory, Arousal theory, expectancy theory, instinct theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy theory, psychoanalytic theory and temporal motivation theory. 1. Drive Theory: Motivation and Homeostasis The drive theories of motivation perhaps apply best to some of the biological motives. According to this theory of motivation, people are motivated to take certain actions in order to reduce the internal tension that is caused by unmet needs. For example, you might be motivated to drink a glass of water in order to reduce the internal state of thirst. It helps us to restore a balanced physiological state and it is known as homeostasis. Hence, according to this theory, motivation is basically a process in which various biological needs drive us to actions designed to satisfy them. Behaviours that help us to reduce the appropriate drive are strengthened and tend to be repeated and those that fail to produce such effects are weakened and will not be repeated. The problem with the drive theory of motivation is that these behaviors are not always motivated purely by physiological needs. For example, people often eat even when they are not really hungry. 2. Incentive Theories Incentive theories are “pull theories” of motivation. It suggests that people are motivated to do things because of external rewards. For example, you might be motivated to go to work each day for the monetary reward of being paid. Behavioral learning concepts such as association and reinforcement play an important role in this theory of motivation. This theory shares some similarities with the behaviorist concept of operant conditioning. In operant conditioning, behaviors are learned by forming associations with outcomes. Reinforcement strengthens a behavior while punishment weakens it. While incentive theory 1 is similar, it instead proposes that people intentionally pursue certain courses of action in order to gain rewards. The greater the perceived rewards, the more strongly people are motivated to pursue those reinforcements. 3. Arousal Theory: Seeking Optimum Activation (Geen, Beatty & Arkin, 1984) This theory focuses on arousal. Arousal can be defined as the energised state, or the readiness for action that motivates a performer to behave in a particular way. Arousal varies throughout the day. It is at a lower level during our sleep and at a higher level when we are performing strenuous tasks. This theory suggests that what we seek is not minimal levels of arousal but rather optimal arousal. The arousal theory of motivation suggests that people take certain actions to either decrease or increase levels of arousal.When arousal levels get too low, for example, a person might watch an exciting movie or go for a jog. When arousal levels get too high, on the other hand, a person would probably look for ways to relax such as meditating or reading a book. 4. Expectancy Theory It is a “theory of motivation suggesting that behaviour is elicited by expectations of desirable outcomes.” I am doing this assignment because I would attain certain desired goals such as; I will gain useful and interesting knowledge, able to finish my introduction to psychology course successfully etc. In short my behaviour is determined by my expectancies. It is my belief that my present actions will yield various outcomes in the future. The expectancy theory of motivation suggests that when we are thinking about the future, we formulate different expectations about what we think will happen. When we predict that there will most likely be a positive outcome, we believe that we are able to make that possible future a reality. This leads people to feel more motivated to pursue those likely outcomes. The theory proposes that motivations consist of three key elements: valence, instrumentality, and expectancy. Valence refers to the value with place on the potential outcome. Things that seem unlikely to produce personal benefit have a low valence, while those that offer immediate personal rewards have a higher valence. Instrumentality refers to whether people believe that they have a role to play in the predicted outcome. If the event seems random or outside of the individual's control, people will feel less motivated to pursue that course of action. If the individual plays a major role in the success of the endeavor, however, people will feel more instrumental in the process. 2