Lecture 10 Motivation

MOTIVATION
MOTIVATION
The word motivation comes from the Latin word ‘Movere’, which
means “to move”.
Motivation is a desire to achieve a goal, combined with the energy

to work towards that goal.
Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to

do because they want to do it. E.g., if students don’t complete an
assignment because they are bored, lack of motivation is involved
What Motivates People?
External rewards: salary, working conditions, benefits,

environment.
Internal rewards: achievement, responsibility, recognition
feedback, learning and growth.
But what happens when there is not enough motivation?
Less or No Motivation = Demotivation
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation is when you do something because you enjoy
it or find it interesting. When we are intrinsically motivated, we do
not need incentives or punishments, because the activity itself is
satisfying and rewarding.
Intrinsic motivation is concerned with activities that are internally
rewarded.
For example, Student A wants to learn about psychology because
they like to learn new information.
In Extrinsic motivation, we do something to earn a grade, avoid
punishment, please the teacher, or for some other reason that has
very little to do with the task itself.
Extrinsic motivation comes from outside of the individual. It refers
to behavior that is driven by external rewards such as money,
fame, grades, and praise. This type of motivation arises from
outside the individual
Example
Student works hard to achieve an A in the course, but only because of his GPA.
When the course is over, student forgets most of the material
Extrinsic Motivation Intrinsic Motivation
Going to work to get paid Working because you enjoy

the job
Working hard to get a raise or Studying because you find the

recognition from your boss subject interesting
Studying to get a good grade Tackling a new project

because you love a challenge
Tidying your house to avoid Tidying your house because a

feeling embarrassed when clean home keeps you calm
company comes over
Some research suggests that there is a
third type of motivation: family motivation.
An example of this type is going to work
when you are not motivated to do so
internally (no intrinsic motivation), but
because it is a means to support your
family financially.
Components of Motivation
Researchers have identified three major components of motivation:
Activation is the decision to initiate a behavior. An example of activation would
be enrolling in psychology courses in order to earn your degree.
Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may
exist. An example of persistence would be showing up for your psychology
class even though you are tired from staying up late the night before.
Intensity is the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal.
For example, one student might coast by without much effort (minimal
intensity) while another student studies regularly, participates in classroom
discussions, and takes advantage of research opportunities outside of class
(greater intensity
Causes of Low Motivation
There are a few things you should watch for that might hurt
or inhibit your motivation levels. These include:
All-or-nothing thinking: If you think that you must be
absolutely perfect when trying to reach your goal or there is
no point in trying, one small slip-up or relapse can zap your
motivation to keep pushing forward.
Believing in quick fixes: It's easy to feel unmotivated if
you can't reach your goal immediately but reaching goals
often 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 you don't feel motivated to pursue your
goals, look for other things that will work better for you.
THEORIES OF MOTIVATION
DRIVE REDUCTION THEORY
• When individual experience a need or drive, they are motivated to
reduce that need or drive
• Drive theories assume that people are always trying to reduce
internal tension therefore theorist believe that the source of
motivation lies within the person
• Drive theory acts by an internal state pushing you in a specific
direction e.g. What motivates you to eat chocolates or fries? Lack of
food
INCENTIVE THEORY OF MOTIVATION
The incentive theory of motivation suggest that people
are motivated to do things because of external rewards.
Incentive theory acts when External Stimulus pulls you
in a certain direction
For example
What motivates you to come to psychology class?
Grades
What motivates you to eat chocolates or fries? The smell
or aroma
OPPONENT PROCESS THEORY
According to opponent- process theory, if a
stimulus cause a strong emotion, such as fear or
pleasure, an opposite emotion tends to occur
when the stimulus ends.
Example: if you are in pain and the pain ends, you

will feel pleasant sense of relief. If a person feels
pleasure, as in the case of drug use, and pleasure
ends, it will be followed by craving discomfort.
AROUSAL THEORY
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.

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MOTIVATION

Motivation is a desire to achieve a goal, combined with the energy

Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to

External rewards: salary, working conditions, benefits,

Going to work to get paid Working because you enjoy

Working hard to get a raise or Studying because you find the

Studying to get a good grade Tackling a new project

Tidying your house to avoid Tidying your house because a

Example: if you are in pain and the pain ends, you

When arousal levels get too low, for example, a

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