Motivation

  • What is motivation? The combination of direction & intensity of effort.

    • Direction: if a person seeks out, approaches, or is attracted to a situation

    • Intensity: how much effort a person puts into a situation

Views of Motivation

Participant/ trait centered view

  • motivated behavior is a function of individual characteristics

    • needs, goals, personality

Situation centered view

  • motivated behavior is determined by a situation (leadership, the moment, W-L)

Interactional view

  • motivated behavior is a result of personal and situational factors

5 Guidelines for Building Motivation

  • Both situations & traits motivate people

  • People have multiple motives for involvement

    • multiple motives

    • motives can compete

    • motives change over time

    • Identify motives

      • major motives: improve skills, have fun, social, thrills & excitement, success, develop fitness

  • Change the environment to enhance motivation

    • environment can be competitive or recreational

    • provide multiple opportunities

    • tailor environment to individuals

  • Leaders directly & indirectly influence motivation

  • Use behavior modification to change undesirable motives

    • rewards

Achievement Motivation

  • some people strive for success in tasks, persevere, & feel pride in accomplishment

Attribution Theory

  • people explain their successes or failures on:

    • stability: how stable our control is

    • locus of control: if you have control over it

    • locus of causation: if control is internal or external

Achievement Goal Theory

  • Ego goal orientation: focuses on comparing performance w/ & defeating others

  • Task goal orientation: focuses on improvements relative to one’s past performances

  • we SHOULD have two separate scales measuring ego & task orientation respectively

Motivational Rewards

  • intrinsic vs extrinsic

  • controlled vs not controlled

Implications for Professional Practice

  • Recognize interaction of personal & situational factors

  • Emphasize mastery of task goals & downplay outcome goals

  • Monitor & alter attributions

  • Assess & correct inappropriate attributions

  • Determine when competitive goals are appropriate

  • Enhance feelings of competence & control