“Motivation” is a word you hear every day. It is something you need for studying, cooking, or exercising. But what exactly is motivation? How does it become the driving force of our actions? Today, we are going to tell you about this simple term and the psychology behind it.
What is Motivation?
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Motivation, derived from “motive” is defined as the desire, need, want within the individual. It is the process of stimulating people’s actions for goal accomplishment. On the other hand, psychologists define it as “the process through which activities are started, directed, and sustained so that certain needs are met.” Furthermore, they say needs can be psychological (for example, needing validation) or physical (for example, needing food). The purpose of motivation is to guide an individual towards his or her goals and accomplish them. It is rare to narrow down motivation as a single driving force. Since some of it is based on either instinct or arousal or the need.
Types of Motivation
Intrinsic and Extrinsic are the two divisions of motivation. Intrinsic is the motivation coming from within an individual. Personal gratification is the goal here. Whereas extrinsic is motivation coming from outside. Awards or good grades are examples of extrinsic motivation. Two other types are introjected and identified. Introjected motivation is similar to intrinsic. But the difference between them is if the goal is not accomplished in introjected motivation, the person feels guilty. On the other hand, identified is where a person knows that he has to do something but has not decided what to do.
Theories of Motivation
Psychologists have given three theories of motivation. They are instinct theory, the theory of drives and needs, and the arousal theory.
Instinct Theory
As the name suggests, this theory is based on human instinct. It talks about how humans accomplish their goals through their instinct. It focuses on how all individuals are born with an instinct to survive. Instinct is something that drives people towards goals. Since instinct is inborn and fixed. It is already present inside. Therefore, it is not taught. Hence, it helps for goal accomplishment.
Theory of Drives and Needs
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The theory of drives and needs focuses on the basic needs of an individual. Hunger and thirst are the perfect examples of the theory of drives and needs. The theory states the motive arising from the necessity. Human behavior is motivated through these needs. Hence, we have the desire to have food, drink, and rest.
Arousal theory
As the name suggests, the arousal theory is to keep the arousal levels at the top. It is for keeping it personally optimal. It can vary from person to person. For example, a person with a high level of arousal is motivated to do sky-diving whereas a person with low levels of arousal is motivated to read books. Furthermore, these can be interchanged such as a person with high levels can be motivated to read books or mediate and a person with low levels can be motivated to go jogging or mountain climbing.
Motivation and Learning
Motivation and learning go hand in hand. Learning motivates you. Similarly, if you are motivated to learn something then it is the driving force to accomplish that. Motivation plays an important part in the learning process. If one is willing to learn then that will is the motivation to complete the task. Therefore, motivation and learning are the aspects that help you grow as an individual and achieve success and great heights in life.
Motivation and Reward
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It is human nature to have a desire for a reward for the work he or she is doing. This desire becomes the driving force to complete the tasks. Hence, it becomes the motivation to do so. Getting the reward at the end helps a lot to fulfill the goal. It enhances the desire to complete the goal. If someone knows that there is a reward at the end, he or she will work harder. But it can be proved to be a massive demotivation if they come to know that there is no reward. Good grades are the rewards for a student for studying. A pay rise as a reward for a person to do good work at the workplace. Therefore, rewards are an important aspect of it.
Motivation is a force we need to survive and have meaning in life. Today, the focus is on the physical aspects of it. But we need to also focus on the psychological aspects of it. Moreover, it is important to keep yourself motivated. We are not in a good mood and will not perform better in life if we are demotivated. Also, demotivation leads to diseases like depression. Hence, We will perform better and have a happy life if we are motivated. This will keep the people around you happy. Moreover, you can also become someone else’s motivation and our world will be a great place to live. Therefore, keep yourself motivated and motivate others.
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