Sources of Motivation

Motivation (a psychological state) = is a person’s willingness to exert physical or mental effort in pursuit of a goal or outcome. It describes why a person does something. It is the driving force(s) responsible for the initiation, persistence, direction, strength of goal-directed behaviour.

• includes biological drives (primary drives) e.g., hunger, thirst, temperature regulation and self preservation

• can be conscious (deliberate goals) or unconscious (ingrained habits or instincts)

Characteristics of Motivated Behaviour:

• goal-directed

• variable - changes from time to time and between individuals

• persistent - if an individual varies the behaviour and persists until reaching, it is a motivated behaviour

Types of Motivation:

Extrinsic motivation = arises from outside of the individual and often involves external rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition or praise.

Intrinsic Motivation = is internal and arises from within the individual, such as doing a complicated crossword puzzle purely for the gratification of solving a problem.

3 Major Components of Motivation:

Activation = is the decision to initiate a behaviour.

• E.g., enrolling in psychology courses in order to earn your degree

Persistence = is the continued effort towards a goal even though obstacles may exist.

• E.g., showing up for your psychology class even though you are tired from the night before

Intensity = is the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal.

• E.g., 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)

• the degree of each of these components can influence whether or not you achieve your goal

Sources of Motivation

= factors that influence the initiation, direction, intensity and persistence of behaviour.

1. Physiological - relate directly to the body’s physical needs and drives.

• help to ensure that our body’s basic needs are met and that we are able to function and thrive in our daily lives

• when our body experiences a psychological need, it triggers a physiological response that motivates us to take action to satisfy that need

• Examples: hunger, thirst, the need for sleep and to reproduce

1. Cognitions - refers to mental events.

• when we have a clear understanding of our goals and the steps we need to achieve them, this can motivate us to take action

• when we encounter new information or challenges, our cognition is engaged as we work to process and understand these experiences

• this engagement can lead to a sense of curiosity/desire to learn more, which can motivate us to seek out new challenges and opportunities for growth

• self evaluation - we compare our current state to our desired state and work to bridge any gaps that exist

• Examples: plans, goals, mindsets, beliefs and expectations.

3. Emotions - can motivate people to act out of anger, fear, excitement or passion.

• passion = strong emotional connection and enthusiasm for a particular activity or goal

• when individuals are passionate about something, they are more likely to be motivated to pursue it, overcome obstacles, and achieve success.

• fear of failure, fear of missing out, or fear of disappointing oneself or others can push people to work harder and strive for success.

• Examples: panic, fear, anger, love, hatred.

1. Social - comes from your relationships with other people.

• can include factors such as social recognition, approval, competition, cooperation, support and the desire for affiliation and belonging

• presence or absence of social support and feedback, expectation and norms of our social groups, and the comparison and evaluation of our progress with other can all contribute to our motivation levels

• Examples: reactions from others (parents, family, co-workers, peers, friends).