MAE - Motivation Theories Lesson
Motivation Theories
Today some of us jumped out of bed and immediately made it up neatly. Some of us browsed several social media sites for hours. Some of us finished up homework at the last minute or skipped the homework altogether. Some of us snacked on fresh fruit instead of packaged junk food. What motivated these behaviors?
Motivation is a fascinating culmination of forces: what you want and what you need. Sometimes your biology motivates you to act, but sometimes your brain overrides basic biology. For example, you might be naturally terrified to jump from an airplane, but you might do it anyway for the thrill of it.
Psychologists have created several theories to describe and explain motivation.
Explore each section in the tabs below to learn more.
Instinct Theory
Notes:
- Unlearned biological instincts motivate organisms to act
- Based on Darwin's Theory of Evolution, which says that an organism with helpful mutations will be more likely to survive and pass on those helpful adaptations
Example:
- Babies are born with a sucking reflex
- Salmon swim upstream to lay eggs where their ancestors laid eggs
Limits and Problems:
- Humans can out think instincts because of our well-developed frontal lobe
- We eat when we aren't hungry and stay awake when we are sleepy
Drive Reduction Theory
Notes:
- We are driven by basic biological needs because our bodies want to remain in homeostasis
- When we get out of homeostasis (too hungry or too cold, etc), a need is created and we are driven to meet it
Example:
- A skipped meal leads to increased hunger, a drive that motivates a person to seek out food
- Cold air leads to shivering and a drive to find warmth for survival
Limits and Problems:
- Why jump from a plane?
- Why spend time dancing?
Incentive Theory
Notes:
- Sometimes behavior is motivated by an incentive, an external stimuli that pulls you to it
- When we learn to associate a behavior with a reward, we are pulled to do that behavior
Example:
- Working late into the night to get a good grade
- Eating dessert when you're very full from dinner
Limits and Problems:
- Doesn't explain biologically motivated behaviors, so it can't stand alone
Arousal Theory
Notes:
- Animals seek an optimal level of arousal
- Bored animals will seek excitement in order to achieve that level of arousal
Example:
- Bored monkeys will try to escape from enclosures, even if all their biological needs are perfectly met
- Humans skydive
Limits and Problems:
- Doesn't explain biologically motivated behaviors, so it can't stand alone
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Notes:
- Humanist Theory created by famous psychologist Abraham Maslow
- He said humans must meet lower-level (biological) needs before meeting higher-level needs
Example:
- Starving people will put themselves in danger in order to get food
- People who are hungry can still enjoy friendships
Limits and Problems:
- Humans sometimes sacrifice their own safety in order to help others
- Maslow studied only individuals that he identified as self-actualized, which was a biased sample so his research is not valid or reliable
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow, a major leader in the humanistic school of psychology, is best known for his hierarchy of needs. Maslow describes an organism's motivation to perform behavior based on a five-stage model of needs. According to Maslow the organism cannot move up the hierarchy until the lower needs are met.
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Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs from bottom to top:
- Physiological: breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion.
- Safety: security of body, employment, resources, morality, the family, health, property.
- Love/belonging: friendship, family, sexual intimacy.
- Esteem: self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others.
- Self-actualization: morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts.
Maslow's hierarchy describes the basic needs that all humans have and puts them into categories. Physiological needs are followed by needs related to safety, which are followed by needs related to belonging. Self-actualization (at the top of the pyramid) refers to the need to develop one's full potential or to "be all you can be". The number of "self-actualized" individuals in the world is believed to be very small. Maslow himself had a hard time defining self-actualization and is criticized for lacking empirical support.
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