Motivation
Chapter 11
William G. Huitt
Last revised: May 2005
Summary
• A human being is inherently
– biological
– conditioned by the environment
– able to gather data about the world through the
senses and organize that data
– emotional
– intelligent (adapt to, modify, and select environments)
– able to create and use knowledge
– able to form concepts, think rationally
– able to use language
– social
Defining Motivation
• Internal state or condition
– activates behavior
– gives it direction
• Desire or want
– energizes
– directs goal-oriented behavior
Defining Motivation
• Influence of needs and desires
– intensity
– direction of behavior
• Process that
– initiates
– directs
– sustains behavior
– to satisfy physiological or psychological needs or
wants
Defining Motivation
• Why is the concept of motivation
necessary?
– Achievement = Aptitude * Opportunity *
Effort
– Motivation explains activation, direction, and
persistence of effort
Defining Motivation
• Extrinsic motivation
– The desire to perform an act to meet
external demands or requirements
• Classical conditioning—associated stimuli
• Operant conditioning—consequences
• Social learning—models and imitation
• Social cognition—influence of others on
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
Defining Motivation
Intrinsic motivation
– The desire to perform an act because it is
satisfying or pleasurable in and of itself
– Satisfies internal need or desire
• Biology
• Cognition
• Emotion
• Volition
• Spiritual
• Moral
Instinct Theories of Motivation
• The notion that human behavior is motivated
by certain innate patterns of action that are
activated in response to stimuli
• Not the same as genetic tendencies
• Most psychologists today reject instinct theory
– human behavior is too richly diverse
– often too unpredictable
Drive-reduction Theory
• A theory of motivation suggesting that a need
creates an unpleasant state of arousal or
tension called a drive, which impels the
organism to engage in behavior that will satisfy
the need and reduce the tension
• Popularized by Clark Hull
– Believed that all living organisms have certain
biological needs that must be met if they are to
survive
Drive-reduction Theory
• Drive-reduction theory is derived largely from
the biological concept of homeostasis
• Homeostasis
– The tendency of the body to maintain a balanced
internal state with regard to oxygen level, body
temperature, blood sugar, water balance, and so
forth
– Everything required for physical existence must be
maintained in a state of equilibrium, or balance
• When this state is disturbed, a drive is created
to restore the balance
• Cognitive dissonance derived from this theory
Drive-reduction Theory
• In the Navajo religion and culture, there is an
emphasis on how you relate to everything
around you. Everything has to be measured,
weighed, and harmonious. We call it nizhoni—
walking in beauty.
– American Indigenous Religions, Lori Cupp (Navajo)
Arousal Theory
• A theory suggesting that the aim of motivation
is to maintain an optimal level of arousal
• Arousal
– A state of alertness and mental and physical
activation
– When arousal is too low, animals and humans seek
to increase stimulation
– When arousal is too high, animals and humans
seek to decrease stimulation
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Abraham Maslow
– Attempted to develop a theory of motivation that
would synthesize multiple theories
– Proposed two sets of needs
• Deficiency needs
• Growth needs
– Growth needs develop after deficiency needs are
met
– Lowest unmet need will receive attention
– Believed that these motivational processes were
central to the human personality
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs