BASIC THEMES IN THE STUDY OF MOTIVATION

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• TOPIC 3
• BASIC THEMES IN THE STUDY OF MOTIVATION

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What causes behavior?

• Motivation theorists
• Assume that for every behavior, there is cause
• Goal is to identify those causes
• Tend to be eclectic
• Want to know what instigates behavior
• Biology, learning, cognition

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Approach and Avoidant Causes

• Biological basis for approach/avoidant behavior
• Individual differences may be a result of
  inherited amounts of each system

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Approach and Avoidant Causes

• Temperament we approach life with a particular
  orientation that can affect everything we do and
  say
• Dual nature we are often being pulled in two
  directions (moves us forward or stops us in our
  tracks)

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Approach and Avoidant Causes

• Avoidant Causes
• People do things to avoid something
• Example People who have anxiety at a party may
  leave the party.
• These things are not only aversive/noxious, they
  are also difficult/impossible to ignore

• Approach Causes
• People do things because of something they want,
  desire, or need
• Example People eat because they are hungry.
• Sometimes the want, desire, or need does not
  immediately give rise to a specific goal object

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Eight Basic Themes of Contemporary Motivation
Theories

1. Behavior represents an attempt to adapt to the
   environment
2. Importance of determining what arouses/energizes
   behavior

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Eight Basic Themes of Contemporary Motivation
Theories

• Understanding what governs the direction of
  behavior
• Need theory needs are what give direction to
  behavior
• Goal theory goals create a tension, and the
  individuals move toward the goals to reduce that
  tension

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Eight Basic Themes of Contemporary Motivation
Theories

• 4. Understand persistence
• One of the main predictors of success grows out
  of intrinsic motivation
• Reward theory we are inclined to repeat
  behaviors that make us feel good (positive
  reinforcement) and discontinue behaviors that
  make us feel bad (negative reinforcement)

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Eight Basic Themes of Contemporary Motivation
Theories

• Understanding the role of emotions
• Affect theory people approach things to
  experience positive affect and avoid things to
  guard against experiencing negative affect
• Feelings are important determinants of behavior

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Eight Basic Themes of Contemporary Motivation
Theories

• 6. Accounting for individual differences
• Motivation theorists are interested in why
  individuals behave the way they do (biology,
  cognitions, learning)

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Eight Basic Themes of Contemporary Motivation
Theories

• 7. Self-regulation of behavior
• Learning to set attainable goals, manage negative
  emotions, focus attention tendency to engage in
  planning
• Motivational principles are the underlying
  reasons people self-regulate/achieve/take control

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Eight Basic Themes of Contemporary Motivation
Theories

• 8. Humans have will (people can create their own
  destiny)
• People are not mere products of biology or the
  environment