1. Motivation in
Historical Perspective
Chapter 2

2. Outline : History of Motivation
Philosophical Origins of Motivational Concepts
 The First Grand Theory: Will
 The Second Grand Theory: Instinct
• Freud’s Drive Theory
 The Third Grand Theory: Drive • Hull’s Drive Theory
 The Fourth Grand Theory: Incentive, Arousal, Discrepancy
• The Active Nature of the Person
• The Cognitive Revolution
Rise of the Mini-theories • Applied Socially Relevant Research
Contemporary Era

3. GRAND THEORIES
All- encompassing theory that seeks to explain the full range of motivated action—why
we eat, drink, work, play, compete, fear certain things, read, fall in love, and so on.
Will Instinct Drive
The ancient philosophers Physiological analysis of Drive theory view that
understood motivation motivation by focusing on behavior was motivated
within the two themes: the mechanistic. to the extent that it
served the needs of the
 good, rational, The appeal of instinct organism and restored a
immaterial, and active doctrine was its ability to biological homeostasis.
(i.e., the will) explain unlearned behavior
that had energy and purpose
 primitive, impulsive,
biological, and reactive (i.e., goal-directed biological
(i.e., bodily desires). impulses).

4. A SUMMARY OF FREUD’S DRIVE THEORY
Drive’s Drive’s Drive’s Drive’s
Source Impetus Object Aim
A bodily deficit occurs The intensity of the Seeking to reduce If the environmental
bodily deficit grows & anxiety & satisfy the object successfully
(e.g., blood sugar emerges into bodily deficit, the satisfies the bodily
drops & a sense of consciousness as a person searches out & deficit, satisfaction
hunger emerges). psychological consumes a need occurs & quiets
discomfort, which is satisfying anxiety, at least for a
anxiety. environmental object period of time.
(e.g., food).
Figure 2.1

5. Decline of GRAND THEORIES
Will Instinct Drive
The philosophical study The physiological Drive theory proved itself to be
of the will turned out to study of the instinct overly limited in scope, and
be a dead end that proved to be an with its rejection came the
explained very little intellectual dead end field’s disillusionment with
about motivation, as it as well, as it became grand theories in general,
actually raised more clear that “naming is though several additional
grand motivational principles
questions than it not explaining.”
emerged with some success,
answered.
including incentive and
arousal.

6. Post-Drive Theory Years
Third,
the field focused
on applied,
socially relevant
problems.
First,
motivation study
rejected its commitment
to a passive view of
human nature and
adopted a more active Second,
portrayal of human motivation turned
beings. decidedly cognitive
and somewhat
humanistic.

7. ●
Rise of the Mini-
Theories
Unlike grand theories
that try to explain the full
range of motivation,
mini-theories limit
their attention:

8. Abbreviated list of the mini-theories

9. The Many Voices in Motivation Study
Box 2
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
 Motivation’s new
Perspective: Motives emerge from…
paradigm is one in _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
which behavior is
Behavioral Environmental incentives
energized and directed
not by a single grand Neurological Brain activations
cause but, instead, by a
multitude of multi-level
Physiological Hormonal activity
and co-acting Cognitive Mental events and thoughts
influences.
Social-cognitive Ways of thinking guided
 As expressed in Box 2, by exposure to other people
most motivational Cultural Groups, organizations, and
states can be (and nations
indeed need to be)
understood at multiple Evolutionary Genes and genetic
levels—from a endowment
neurological level, a Humanistic Encouraging the human
cognitive level, a social
potential
level, and so on.
Psychoanalytical Unconscious mental life
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. The Many Voices in Motivation Study
Box 2
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
 Motivation’s new
Perspective: Motives emerge from…
paradigm is one in _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
which behavior is
Behavioral Environmental incentives
energized and directed
not by a single grand Neurological Brain activations
cause but, instead, by a
multitude of multi-level
Physiological Hormonal activity
and co-acting Cognitive Mental events and thoughts
influences.
Social-cognitive Ways of thinking guided
 As expressed in Box 2, by exposure to other people
most motivational Cultural Groups, organizations, and
states can be (and nations
indeed need to be)
understood at multiple Evolutionary Genes and genetic
levels—from a endowment
neurological level, a Humanistic Encouraging the human
cognitive level, a social
potential
level, and so on.
Psychoanalytical Unconscious mental life
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________