"Motivation is the reason for which humans and other animals initiate, continue, or terminate a behavior at a given time."
The distinction between motivation that comes from external rewards or factors (extrinsic) and motivation that comes from within oneself (intrinsic).
Definition of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation: The first topic to understand is the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is driven by external factors like rewards or punishments, while intrinsic motivation is driven by passion, interest, or personal satisfaction.
Types of Extrinsic Motivation: There are different types of extrinsic motivation such as materialistic, social, and concrete motivations. Each type of motivation has different drivers.
Positive Effects of Extrinsic Motivation: Extrinsic motivation can have positive effects like increased performance, engagement and productivity. Understanding how to use extrinsic motivation can help individuals and organizations to achieve their goals.
Negative Effects of Extrinsic Motivation: Extrinsic motivation can also have negative effects such as dependence, low self-esteem, and stress. Being able to recognize the negative effects can help individuals and organizations to be more cautious when using extrinsic motivation.
Sources of Intrinsic Motivation: Intrinsic motivation can be driven by various sources such as personal interest, curiosity, competence, and autonomy. Understanding what drives intrinsic motivation for individuals can help organizations to create positive and engaging work environments.
The Power of Autonomy: Autonomy is an essential factor that drives intrinsic motivation. Giving people the freedom to choose what they want to do and how they want to do it can increase motivation and engagement.
Rewards and Intrinsic Motivation: Over-reliance on extrinsic rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation. Understanding how to balance the use of rewards with the need for autonomy can help individuals and organizations to maintain intrinsic motivation.
Cultural and Gender Differences: Cultural and gender differences can impact the relationship between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Understanding these differences can help organizations to create more inclusive and engaging work environments.
The Role of Emotion: Emotion plays a significant role in motivation. Understanding how to use positive emotion (e.g. joy, excitement) to motivate individuals can help create a more positive and engaging work environment.
The impact of motivation on well-being: Understanding the impact of motivation on well-being can help individuals and organizations to create more positive and fulfilling work environments.
Money: Performing a task in exchange for a monetary reward.
Grades: Studying hard to receive a good grade.
Recognition: Working hard to receive recognition or an award.
Fear: Doing something to avoid punishment or consequences.
Competition: Being motivated by the desire to outperform others.
Personal interest: Being motivated by a genuine interest or passion.
Personal growth: Striving to become better or improve oneself.
Autonomy: Being in control of your own actions and work.
Mastery: Striving to become an expert in a particular area.
Purpose: Feeling fulfilled by contributing to a greater cause or making a difference.
"Motivational states are commonly understood as forces acting within the agent that create a disposition to engage in goal-directed behavior."
"This means that we can be motivated to do something without actually doing it."
"The paradigmatic mental state providing motivation is desire."
"But various other states, such as beliefs about what one ought to do or intentions, may also provide motivation."
"Motivation is derived from the word 'motive', which denotes a person's needs, desires, wants, or urges."
"It is the process of motivating individuals to take action to achieve a goal."
"The psychological elements fueling people's behavior in the context of job goals might include a desire for money."
"Content theories... aim to describe what goals usually or always motivate people."
"Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs... posit that humans have certain needs, which are responsible for motivation."
"Behaviorist theories try to explain behavior solely in terms of the relation between the situation and external, observable behavior without explicit reference to conscious mental states."
"Motivation may be either intrinsic if the activity is desired because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable."
"Motivation may be... extrinsic if the agent's goal is an external reward distinct from the activity itself."
"It has been argued that intrinsic motivation has more beneficial outcomes than extrinsic motivation."
"Motivational states can also be categorized according to whether the agent is fully aware of why he acts the way he does or not, referred to as conscious and unconscious motivation."
"Motivation is closely related to practical rationality."
"Failing to fulfill this requirement results in cases of irrationality, known as akrasia or weakness of the will, in which there is a discrepancy between our beliefs about what we should do and our actions."
"In the field of business, a central question concerns work motivation, for example, what measures an employer can use to ensure that his employees are motivated."
"Motivation is also of particular interest to educational psychologists because of its crucial role in student learning."
"Specific interest has been given to the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in this field."