Understanding Motivation Theories

MOTIVATION
PREPARED AND PRESENTED
BY
ASARE, RICHARD OPOKU
COLLEGE OF NURSING, NTOTROSO
AHAFO REGION, GHANA
asareor@gmail.com ©2022 1

Introduction
•Understanding motivation gives us many
valuable insights into human nature.
•It explains why goals are set, we strive for
achievement and power, why we have desires
for psychological intimacy and biological sex,
why we experience emotions like fear, anger,
and compassion.

•Learning about motivation is valuable because it helps
us understand where motivation comes from, why it
changes, what increases and decreases it, what
aspects of it can and cannot be changed, and helps us
answer the question of why some types of motivation
are more beneficial than others.
•Motivation reflects something unique about each one
of us and allows us to gain valued outcomes like
improved performance, enhanced wellbeing, personal
growth, or a sense of purpose.

•Motivation is a pathway to change our way
of thinking, feeling, and behaving (Souders,
2019).
•Motivation is the process that initiates,
guides, and maintains goal-oriented
behaviours.
•It is what causes a person 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 used to describe why a person does
something.
•It is the driving force behind human actions
(Cherry, 2022).

•Motivation does not just refer to the factors
that activate behaviours; it also involves the
factors that direct and maintain these goal-
directed actions (though such motives are
rarely directly observable).
•As a result, we often have to infer the
reasons why people do the things that they
do based on observable behaviours (Nevid,
2013). asareor@gmail.com ©2022 6

•What exactly lies behind the motivations for
why we act?
•There are different theories of motivation,
including drive theory, instinct theory, and
humanistic theory (such as Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs) among others.
•The reality is that there are many different
forces that guide and direct our motivations.

Theories of Motivation

Instinct Theory of Motivation
•The instinct theory of motivation suggests that
behaviours are motivated by instincts, which are
fixed and inborn patterns of behaviour.
•Such instincts might include biological instincts that
are important for an organism’s survival such as fear,
cleanliness, and love.
•For example, a newly born baby when put to the
breast immediately starts sucking the mother due to
innate characteristics to feeding.

Drive Theory of Motivation
•According to the drive theory of motivation,
people have basic biological drives and that
behaviours are motivated by the need to fulfill
these drives.
•In other words, people are motivated to take
certain actions in order to reduce the internal
tension that is caused by unmet needs.
•For example, you might be motivated to drink a
glass of water in order to reduce the internal state
of thirst. asareor@gmail.com ©2022 10

•The drive theory is based on the concept
of homeostasis, or the idea that the body
actively works to maintain a certain state
of balance or equilibrium.
•This theory is useful in explaining
behaviours that have a strong biological or
physiological component, such as hunger
or thirst.

•The problem with the drive theory of
motivation is that these behaviours are
not always motivated purely by drive,
or the state of tension or arousal
caused by biological or physiological
needs.
•For example, people often eat even
when they are not really hungry.

Arousal Theory
•The arousal theory of motivation suggests
that people take certain actions to either
decrease or increase levels of arousal.
•In this case, we are motivated to maintain
an optimal level of arousal, although this
level can vary based on the individual or the
situation.

•When arousal levels get too low, for
example, a person might watch an
exciting movie or go for a jog.
•When arousal levels get too high, on
the other hand, a person would
probably look for ways to relax, such
as meditating or reading a book.

Incentive Theory
•The incentive theory suggests that people are
motivated to do things because of external
rewards.
•For example, you might be motivated to go to
work each day for the monetary reward of
being paid.

•Behavioural learning concepts such as
association and reinforcement play an
important role in this theory of
motivation.
•This theory shares some similarities with
the behaviourist concept of operant
conditioning.

•In operant conditioning, behaviours are
learned by forming associations with
outcomes.
•Reinforcement strengthens a behaviour
while punishment weakens it.
•While incentive theory is similar, it instead
proposes that people intentionally pursue
certain courses of action in order to gain
rewards.

•The greater the perceived rewards, the more
strongly people are motivated to pursue
those reinforcements.
•Incentives can arise from outside (extrinsic)
or inside (intrinsic) an individual.
•Intrinsic motivation is when you engage in a
behaviour because you find it rewarding for
your own sake, rather than from the desire
for an external reward.

Expectancy Theory
•The expectancy theory of motivation suggests that when
we are thinking about the future, we formulate different
expectations about what we think will happen.
•When we predict that there will most likely be a positive
outcome, we believe that we are able to make that
possible future a reality.
•This leads people to feel more motivated to pursue those
likely outcomes.
•The theory proposes that motivations consist of three key
elements:

1)Valence: the value people place on the
potential outcome (results).
2)Instrumentality: whether people believe
that they have a role to play in the
predicted outcome.
3)Expectancy: the belief that one has the
capabilities to produce the outcome.

Humanistic Theory
•Humanistic theories of motivation are based
on the idea that people also have strong
cognitive reasons to perform various
actions.
•This is famously illustrated in Abraham
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which
describes various levels of needs and
motivations. asareor@gmail.com ©2022 21

•Maslow’s hierarchy suggests that people
are motivated to fulfill basic needs before
moving on to other, more advanced needs.
•For example, people are first motivated to
fulfill basic biological needs for food and
shelter, then to progress through higher
needs like safety, love, and esteem.

•Once these needs have been met, the
primary motivator becomes the need for
self-actualization, or the desire to fulfill
one's individual potential.
•Maslow was interested in learning about
what makes people happy and the things
that they do to achieve that aim, rather
than focusing on problematic behaviours.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory
•Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is one of the
best-known theories of motivation.
•Maslow's theory states that our actions are
motivated by certain physiological and psychological
needs that progress from basic to complex.
•This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to
fulfill basic needs before moving on to other, more
advanced needs.

•As a humanist, Maslow believed that people
have an inborn desire to be self-actualized, that
is, to be all they can be.
•To achieve this ultimate goal, however, a
number of more basic needs must be met.
•This includes the need for food, safety, love, and
self-esteem.
•Maslow believed that these needs are similar to
instincts and play a major role in motivating
behaviour. asareor@gmail.com ©2022 25

•There are five different levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs, starting at the lowest level known as physiological
needs.
1) Physiological Needs
•The physiological needs include those that are vital to
survival. Some examples of physiological needs include:
 Food
 Water
 Breathing
 Homeostasis

•In addition to the basic requirements of
nutrition, air, and temperature
regulation, physiological needs also
include shelter and clothing.
•Maslow included sexual reproduction
in this level of the hierarchy as well,
since it is essential to the survival and
propagation of the species.

2) Security and Safety Needs
•At the second level of Maslow’s hierarchy, the needs
start to become a bit more complex.
•At this level, the needs for security and safety
become primary.
•People want control and order in their lives. Some
of the basic security and safety needs include:
 Financial security
 Health and wellness
 Safety against accidents and injury

•Finding a job, obtaining health insurance
and health care, contributing money to a
savings account, and moving to a safer
neighborhood are all examples of actions
motivated by security and safety needs.
•Together, the safety and physiological levels
of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs make up
what is often referred to as “basic needs.”

3) Social Needs
•The social needs in Maslow’s hierarchy include love,
acceptance, and belonging. At this level, the need for
emotional relationships drives human behaviour.
•Some of the things that satisfy this need include:
 Friendships
 Romantic attachments
 Family relationships
 Social groups
 Community groups
 Churches and religious organizations

•In order to avoid loneliness, depression,
and anxiety, it is important for people
to feel loved and accepted by others.
•Personal relationships with friends,
family, and lovers play an important
role, as does involvement in groups—
such as religious groups, sports teams,
book clubs, and other group activities.

4)Esteem Needs
•At the fourth level in Maslow’s
hierarchy is the need for appreciation
and respect.
•Once the needs at the bottom three
levels have been satisfied, the esteem
needs begin to play a more prominent
role in motivating behaviour.

•At this level, it becomes increasingly
important to gain the respect and
appreciation of others.
•People have a need to accomplish things,
then have their efforts recognized.
•In addition to the need for feelings of
accomplishment and prestige, esteem needs
include such things as self-esteem and
personal worth. asareor@gmail.com ©2022 33

•People need to sense that they are
valued by others and feel that they are
making a contribution to the world.
•Participation in professional activities,
academic accomplishments, athletic or
team participation, and personal
hobbies can all play a role in fulfilling
the esteem needs.

•People who are able to satisfy esteem needs by
achieving good self-esteem and the recognition
of others tend to feel confident in their abilities.
•Conversely, those who lack self-esteem and the
respect of others can develop feelings of
inferiority.
•Together, the esteem and social levels make up
what is known as the “psychological needs” of
the hierarchy.

5)Self-Actualization Needs
•At the very peak of Maslow’s hierarchy
are the self-actualization needs.
•Self-actualizing people are self-aware,
concerned with personal growth, less
concerned with the opinions of others,
and interested in fulfilling their
potential. asareor@gmail.com ©2022 36

•“What a man can be, he must be,” Maslow
explained, referring to the need people have to
achieve their full potential as human beings.
•Maslow’s said of self-actualization:
•“It may be loosely described as the full use and
exploitation of talents, capabilities, potentialities,
etc. Such people seem to be fulfilling themselves
and to be doing the best that they are capable of
doing. They are people who have developed or are
developing to the full stature of which they capable.”

•Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is often displayed
as a pyramid.
•The lowest levels of the pyramid of needs are
made up of the most basic needs while the
most complex needs are at the top.
•Once lower-level needs have been met, people
can move on to the next level of needs.
•As people progress up the pyramid, needs
become increasingly psychological and social.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Different Types of Needs
•Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be separated into two
types of needs: deficiency needs and growth needs.
•Deficiency needs: Physiological, security, social, and
esteem needs are deficiency needs, which arise due to
deprivation. Satisfying these lower-level needs is
important to avoid unpleasant feelings or consequences.
•Growth needs: Maslow called the needs at the top of the
pyramid growth needs. These needs do not stem from a
lack of something, but rather from a desire to grow as a
person.

•While the theory is generally portrayed as a
fairly rigid hierarchy, Maslow noted that the
order in which these needs are fulfilled does not
always follow this standard progression.
•For example, he noted that for some individuals,
the need for self-esteem is more important than
the need for love.
•For others, the need for creative fulfillment may
supersede even the most basic needs.

Types of Motivation

•Basically, there two different types of motivation which
are frequently described as being either extrinsic or
intrinsic:
•Extrinsic motivations are those that arise from outside of
the individual and often involve rewards such as trophies,
money, social recognition, or praise.
•Intrinsic motivations are those that arise from within the
individual, such as doing a complicated crossword puzzle
purely for the personal gratification of solving a problem.
•Below are some of the basic tenets of intrinsic and
extrinsic motivations:

Intrinsic Motivation
•Working because you enjoy the job
•Studying because you find the subject
interesting
•Tackling a new project because you love a
challenge
•Tidying your house because a clean home
keeps you calm

Extrinsic Motivation
•Going to work to get paid
•Studying to get a good grade
•Working hard to get a raise or recognition
from your boss
•Tidying your house to avoid feeling
embarrassed when company comes over

Components of Motivation
•There are three major components of motivation:
activation, persistence, and intensity.
1) Activation involves the decision to initiate a behaviour,
such as enrolling in a nursing program.
2) Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even
though obstacles may exist.
•An example of persistence would be taking more courses
in nursing in order to earn a diploma/degree although it
requires a significant investment of time, energy, and
resources. asareor@gmail.com ©2022 46

3)Intensity can be seen in the concentration and
vigor that goes into pursuing a goal.
•For example, one student might coast by without
much effort, while another student will study
regularly, participate in discussions, and take
advantage of research opportunities outside of
class.
•The first student lacks intensity, while the second
pursues their educational goals with greater
intensity. asareor@gmail.com ©2022 47

Uses of Motivation
•There are many different uses for
motivation.
•It serves as a guiding force for all human
behaviour, but understanding how it
works and the factors that may impact it
can be important in a number of ways.
•Understanding motivation can:

a)Help improve the efficiency of people as they
work toward goals.
b)Help people take action.
c) Encourage people to engage in health-
oriented behaviours.
d)Help people avoid unhealthy or maladaptive
behaviours such as risk-taking and addiction.
e)Help people feel more in control of their lives.
f) Improve overall well-being and happiness.

Understanding Motivation Theories

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