MEP - Theories of Motivation Lesson

Learning Targets:

• Identify and apply basic motivational concepts to understand the behavior of humans and other animals. 
• Compare and contrast motivational theories, including the strengths and weaknesses of each. 

AP psychology course and exam description, effective fall 2020. (n.d.). https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-psychology-course-and-exam-description.pdf

Motivation

There are dozens of definitions that aim to define motivation. Motivation is the "something", whether it be the biological, emotional, cognitive, or social force that drives you to behave in a certain way. It is a way of describing the causes of one's behavior. Motivation can be inferred when an organism exhibits curiosity, such as that of a young kitten that leads to trouble. Or it can be a biological, psychological, or social force that drives or activates behavior. Why are some people motivated to run a marathon? What motivates a student to take challenging courses?

There are three basic characteristics of motivation:

• Activation describes the initiation or production of certain behavior. What initially creates a drive to act in a certain way or perform a certain behavior? Why does an Olympic athlete awaken at 3 a.m. to begin hours of training at 4?
• Persistence is the continued effort or the determination to achieve a goal. A training runner who sprains their ankle takes to the gym pool to continue their training while their ankle heals.
• Intensity is the vigor that accompanies motivated behavior. As important tests and exams approach, the vigor with which a student studies intensifies.

While we will talk about emotion later, it is important to note that motivation is closely tied to emotional processes. Our experience of different emotions, such as love, can also drive us to act.

Basic Motivational Concepts

Motivation drives behavior, and psychologists have studied various aspects of motivation to understand why people behave the way they do. There are several important motivational concepts we will discuss in this section, including instincts, incentives, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy.

Achievement Motivation

Not all motivation is associated with simple human behaviors. What motivates us to run a marathon, work hard in school, play sports, or do anything else that consumes our time? Achievement motivation is the answer. It is the desire to achieve or master tasks, excel, outperform, or attain a higher standard. Achievement motivation varies from person to person. What motivates you and your best friend to work hard in AP Psychology class may differ, but you may both have the same result.  

In simplest terms, achievement motivation can be broken down into intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Intrinsic motivators are those rewards we obtain internally. A sense of satisfaction, enjoyment, or accomplishment all would be considered intrinsic motivation. They are usually tied to tasks we like to do, such as our hobbies. Extrinsic motivation on the other hand describes the rewards we receive for accomplishments from outside sources. Extrinsic motivators are usually tied to things like money and grades.

Low vs. High Achievement

People with low achievement like to work alone but do have the ability to work with others. They prefer to take on extremely easy tasks over exceedingly difficult tasks. Their choices, while less challenging, lead to success. People with high motivation on the other hand prefer to work alone and own their success. They prefer moderately difficult tasks and success is attainable with challenging work.

TAT

In the 1930s psychologist Henry Murray identified 20 fundamental human needs including achievement. He then went on with Christina Morgan to create a test to measure human motives for achievement. The result: the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). This test consists of a series of black-and-white, ambiguous pictures. The person being tested is required to make up a story of what is happening in each picture and the story is then coded to reveal different motivational themes. In the 1950s, a specific TAT scoring system was developed to measure a need for achievement.

 

Theories of Motivation

Now after learning about the early motivation theories take a moment to learn more about Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs.

Complete the activity below to learn more about the characteristics of self-actualized people.

 

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