Theories of Motivation

Hope ScaleHope: Overall perception that one’s goals can be met

2 Necessary Components of HopeAgency = The willpower or energy to get moving toward one’s goal. (add 2, 9, 10, & 12 together)

Pathways = Perceived ability to generate routes to achieve these goals. (add 1, 4, 6, & 8 together)

Mean score on each subscale is 12.5

People who score high pursue a greater number of life goals. Obstacles are interpreted as challenges rather than threats. Prefer challenge to ease.

The less hopeful tend to react to obstacles with greater stress & report lower levels of life satisfaction, more anxiousness, more fearfulness, and greater depression.

What Motivates Us?

Motivation: Factors that influence initiation, direction, intensity, & persistence of behaviors.

Sources of Motivation:Biological needs

Food, water, sexEmotional factors

Emotions (fear, love, anger)Cognitive needs

Beliefs, thoughts, and perceptionsSocial factors

Our social context

Aron Ralston’s Story

Ralston’s basic physical needs of thirst and hunger, his social sense of belonging, his raw will to live and desire to become a father illustrate some of the most powerful sources of human motivation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2XLoQ1xYB0

Critical ThinkingIn a paragraph or 2, identify some

factors, traits, or offer some explanations that help explain why some people are less motivated than others.

When writing your response think about the 4 sources of motivation.

BiologicalEmotionalCognitiveSocial

Theoretical PerspectivesMany theories are similar, but they vary in the

amount of emphasis that each places upon either biological or environmental influences on motivation.

One theory strongly emphasizes nature as a main motivational influence.

Instinct TheoryMotivation is the result of biological, genetic

programming.All beings within the same species are

programmed for the same motivations.Survival is at the heart of this perspective, so

actions = instincts.EXAMPLE: Human mothers, unlike many other

species, will stay awake with a crying baby all night long trying to provide comfort. Why?

Instincts as Behavior PatternsWilliam McDougal was a theorist who defined instincts as

behavior patterns that are:UnlearnedUniform in expression and Universal

Example: Birds & nests – individual animals build nearly identical nests, even when raised in captivity and isolation.

McDougal claims that humans are the same as other animals in jealousy, mating, & others.

Problems with instinct theories There is no agreed-upon list of instincts. Many

instincts are not universal. Example: Jealousy depends upon variations in character among individuals.

Current Instinct Theories have a more biological emphasis for specific motivations, and not all apply equally. Examples: aggression and sex.

Social behaviors often complicate and obscure our understanding of biological influences.

Instinct perspective on motivation is still widely accepted in the study of animal behavior (ethology).

Drive TheoriesDrive: an internal state of tension that motivates an

organism to engage in activities that are focused on reducing this tension

Homeostasis: an organism’s tendency to maintain a steady internal stateExample: When body temperature wavers, there are

autonomic responses to adjust.

When you experience a drive, you are motivated to pursue actions that will lead to drive reduction.Example: When experiencing hunger, you will most likely be

motivated to try to find food to eat until you are no longer hungry.

Problems With Drive Reduction TheoriesHomeostasis seems irrelevant to some

human motives. For example, how does a “thirst for knowledge” fit into this model?

Motivation may exist without a drive arousal.

Do we eat only when we are hungry?

Arousal Theory

Explains behaviors that don’t obviously decrease drives (thrill seeking, curiosity)

General Level of Activation: People are motivated to maintain their optimum level of arousal.Yerkes-Dodson Law: People perform best under

moderate levels of arousal (people have different levels of “optimum” arousal levels)

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Systematic arrangement of needs according to priority, which assumes that basic needs must be met before less basic needs are aroused.

Thus, like stage theories, in general, we must meet one need before we move on to the next.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94c43AlwLKo&feature=related

How do we solve conflicts between motives?

Approach-Approach: 2 good choices

Avoidance-Avoidance: 2 bad choices

Approach-Avoidance: A good choice with bad consequences

Achievement Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation: desire to work for external rewards (money, fame, power)

Intrinsic Motivation: Work for “internal” satisfaction of a job well done.

People with high achievement motivation seek to master tasks, strive for excellence, take pride in their work.

Incentive TheoryIncentive: an external goal that has the potential to

motivate behavior.

While Drive Theory describes an internal state PUSHING you in a specific direction, Incentive Theory describes how an external stimulus PULLS you in a certain direction.

On Monday, we will have a special guest speaker who will talk about how we move from biological motivations to more environmental motivations and how this influences behavior (see: behaviorists/Skinner).