4.6 Theories of Motivation

Motivation in Psychology

What is Motivation?

• Definition: The driving force behind behavior, influencing how individuals act.
• Personal Reflection:
  • Reflect on what motivates you personally.

Theories of Motivation

Drive-Reduction Theory

• Proposed by Clark Hull in 1943.
• Core Idea: A physiological need creates an aroused tension state (a drive).
  • Example: Hunger creates a drive to seek food.
• Homeostasis: The body's tendency to maintain a balanced internal state.

Arousal Theory

• Optimal Arousal: There is an optimal level of arousal for performance.
  • Yerkes-Dodson Law:
  • Moderate arousal leads to optimal performance.
  • Too much or too little arousal can impede performance.
• Individual differences in optimal arousal levels:
  • Some seek lower arousal (e.g., quiet bookstores), while others seek high arousal (e.g., thrill rides).

Sensation-Seeking Theory

• Individual's level of need for diverse experiences:
  • Experience Seeking: Desire for novel sensory or mental experiences (e.g., traveling).
  • Thrill or Adventure Seeking: Attraction to risky activities (e.g., skydiving).
  • Disinhibition: Reduced self-control in stimulating situations (e.g., partying).
  • Boredom Susceptibility: Need to avoid monotony (e.g., seeking new activities).

Self-Determination Theory

• Focuses on internal and external motivations:
  • Intrinsic Motivation: Engaging in behavior for its own sake (e.g., reading for pleasure).
  • Extrinsic Motivation: Engaging in behavior for external rewards (e.g., studying for grades).
• Three psychological needs:
  • Competence: Mastery of tasks.
  • Autonomy: Control over one’s actions.
  • Relatedness: Sense of belonging.

Incentive Theory

• Motivation driven by stimuli that lure or repel us.
• Types of Incentives:
  • Positive Incentives: Rewards for actions (e.g., good grades).
  • Negative Incentives: Avoiding punishments (e.g., speeding tickets).
• Importance of relevance: Incentives must resonate with the individual.

Overjustification Effect

• Warning against excessive rewards undermining intrinsic motivation.
• Example: Paying children for chores may decrease their inherent motivation to help.

Lewin's Motivation Conflicts Theory

• Three types of conflict:
  • Approach-Approach: Choosing between two desirable options (e.g., selecting between two colleges).
  • Avoidance-Avoidance: Selecting between two negative options (e.g., doing homework vs. missing dinner).
  • Approach-Avoidance: Single option with both positive and negative aspects (e.g., attending a preferred but distant college).

Instinct Theory

• Motivation based on innate biological instincts:
  • Examples include imprinting in birds and reflexes in infants.
• Instincts are fixed patterns that aid in survival.

Hunger and Eating Motivation

Physical Processes of Hunger

• Key areas: Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland.
• Hormones involved in hunger:
  • Ghrelin: Signals hunger from the stomach.
  • Leptin: Signals satiety (fullness) from fat cells.

External Factors Influencing Hunger

• Presence of food, time of day, and social gatherings can affect eating behavior.

Understanding Hunger

• Hunger is a multi-faceted issue:
  • Neurological, chemical, emotional, and social factors all influence it.

Mental Processes Affecting Hunger

Social Context

• Society’s beauty standards and social situations influence eating behaviors.

Emotions

• Emotions like sadness or excitement can affect appetite.

Conditioning

• Classical Conditioning: Associating food with emotional states.
• Operant Conditioning: Rewarding behaviors with food can create expectancy.

External Influences

• Food presentation and availability impact our desire to eat. Understand how cultural differences shape food preferences.