Motivation can be described in many ways. According to psychology researcher, Kendra Cherry, “motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviours”. Motivation is what causes us to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge.
Motivation involves the biological, emotional, social and cognitive forces that activate behaviour. In everyday usage, the term ‘motivation’ is frequently …show more content…
Motives are the "whys" of behaviour - the needs or wants that drive behaviour and explain what we do. We don't actually observe a motive; rather, we infer that one exists based on the behaviour we observe." (Nevid, 2013)
The three major components of motivation:
1. Activation-involves the decision to initiate a specific behaviour, such as registering to a university’s medical program.
2. Persistence- is the continued effort toward trying to achieve a certain goal even though many obstacles may exist. An example of persistence would be taking more subject courses in order to earn a higher/better degree, although it requires a significant investment of time, energy and resources.
3. Intensity -can be seen in the concentration and vigour that goes into pursuing your particular goal. For example, one student might pass their subjects without much effort being done, while another student will study regularly, participate in classroom discussions and take advantage of research opportunities outside of class. The first student lacks intensity, while the second pursues his educational goals with a much greater …show more content…
Well, psychologists have proposed a number of different theories of motivation, including the drive theory, the instinct theory and the humanistic theory. Other theories which may also drive us to act the way we do, include:
Instincts- The instinct theory of motivation suggests that behaviours are motivated by a person’s instincts. “Instinct is a term used to describe a set of behaviours that are both unlearned and set in motion as the result of some environmental trigger. Instincts are also often discussed in relation to motivation, since they can also occur in response to an organism's need to satisfy a need or desire” (2003- 2016 Study.com).
“Psychologists including William James, Sigmund Freud and William McDougal have proposed a number of basic human drives that motivate behaviour. Such instincts might include biological instincts that are important for an organism’s survival such as fear, cleanliness and love” (Belmont, CA: