Concepts of Motivation

The Concepts of Motivation

Lawrence King

MU12BSP04

July 18, 2012

Pamela Stewart, M.S.

The Concepts of Motivation

As an individual moves through life, there comes a time when they are asked, what motivates you to do the things you do. For example, this is true of the most successful business person or the individual who may have failed at every turn in business but continues to try. This is true of the most famous athletes who has arrived the pinnacle of their profession or the weekend warrior sports player who plays the game and never garners any recognition for their achievements. And finally, this is true of the law abiding citizen who obeys the civil laws of the culture or habitual law breaker who blatantly disrespects the laws for their own self serving desires. The question of what motivates these individuals is relevant across the spectrum. This paper will serve to introduce the reader to what motivation is, the source of motivation and the relationship between motivation and behavior.

What is Motivation

A basic definition describes motivation as the process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. It is the force that drives one to act (Cherry, 2012). This definition offers a simple answer to a convoluted organism referred to as the human psyche. But motivation is much more than that. Psychologists have theorized over the years as to exactly what motivation is and have settled on seven theories. These theories include: Instinct Theory, Drive Reduction Theory, Arousal Theory, Incentive Theory, Cognitive Theory, Self-Determination Theory, and Self-actualization Theory (Whitbourne, 2011). The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer offered a more expansive definition when he speculated on the relationship between motivation and behavior. Schopenhauer believes that it took more than just motivation to cause one to act but also incentives that drive one’s behavior. Schopenhauer believes that “action or behavior does not occur...