4.7a: Motivation - Motivational Concepts

Key Concepts of this Unit:

  • Defining and describing motivation

  • Identify and describe 8 theories of motivation

  • Identify and extinguish 2 types of motivation

  • Describe the Yerkes-Dodson Law


Motivation: psychological/physiological factors that cause us to act in specific ways

→ (Ex) Factor that motivates behavior: boredom

  • call a friend/go on a walk


Overjustification: the process by which extrinsic rewards can sometimes displace internal motivation, as when a child receives money for playing video games


Theories of Motivation


Instinct Theory

Instinct theory (replaced by evolutionary perspective): complex, inherited behavior patterns/characteristics of a species

  • instincts are UNLEARNED

  • performed automatically in the same way by ALL members of a species

  • instincts are not personal/individual


Drive-Reduction Theory

Drive-reduction theory: a physiological need creates an aroused state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need

  • when a physiological need increases, so does our psychological drive to reduce it

  • motivation arises from imbalances in homeostasis

  • internal


Key Terms of this theory:

Homeostasis: the body’s tendency to maintain a biologically balanced state w/ regard to nutrients, water, & temperature


Need: a biological requirement for well-being

  • a BIOLOGICAL IMBALANCE caused by physiological deficit

  • Physiological needs: a basic bodily requirement (eg. food, water)


Drive: state of psychological and physiological tension induced by need

  • need activates drive

  • state of psychological tension induced by need


Weaknesses of this theory:

  • Does NOT account well for secondary motives (many of them are social):

    • achievement, affiliation, autonomy, curiosity, power, play


Arousal Theory

Arousal theory: proposes everyone seeks an optimal stimulation level

→ Yerkes-Dodson law: performance increases w/ arousal only up to a point beyond which performance decreases

  • moderate arousal = optimal performance


Sensation-Seeking Theory

Sensation-seeking theory: describes a personality trait where individuals differ in their preferred arousal levels, w/ high sensation-seekers needing more novelty/risk to reach their optimal (often high) arousal, explaining why:

  • some crave excitement (high need for arousal)

  • some prefer calm (low need for arousal)

  • Sensation seekers: individuals who need more arousal than the average person

    • Experience seeking: a desire for novel sensory/mental experiences

    • Thrill or adventure seeking: an attraction to risky/fear-inspiring activities like skydyving

    • Disinhibition: loss of self-control

    • Boredom susceptibility: the inability to tolerate monotony or repetition


Incentive Theory

Incentive theory: behavior is explained as a response to the external stimulus and its rewarding properties or repelling properties

  • Ex: getting a 5 on an AP exam is an incentive that motivates you to read your AP textbook

  • external


Incentive: positive/negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior (can lure/repel us)

  • the more these impulses are satisfied and reinforced, the stronger the drive may become


Maslow’s Hiearchy of Needs


Hiearchy of needs: proposes that human beings must fulfill the more basic needs before being able to fulfill higher social and self-actualization needs


Self-actualization: we seek to realize our own potential

  • KEY HUMANISTIC POV CONCEPT‼

  • Peak experiences: moments of pure joy and have a lasting memory, like feeling awe from the sunset

    • self-actualized people have peak experiences more often


Self-transcendence: we strive for meaning, purpose, and communion in a way that is transpersonal — beyond the self


Self-Determination Theory

Self-determination theory: we feel motivated to satisfy our needs for competence, autonomy (a sense of personal control), and relatedness

  • fulfilling these motive decrease stress and boosts health and self-esteem

  • fosters intrinsic motivation


Autonomy: feeling in control and having ownership over your actions, aligning choices w/ personal values

Competence: experiencing effectiveness and mastery in tasks, seeking challenges, and receiving positive feedback

Relatedness: feeling connected to others, understood, and cared for; fostering a sense of belonging

Lewin’s Motivational Conflicts Theory

Lewin’s Motivational Conflicts Theory: suggests that individuals are motivated to resolve conflicts that can be categorized into 3 types:

  • approach-approach

  • avoidance-avoidance

  • approach-avoidance