MOTIVATION

MOTIVATION 

INTRODUCTION

Motivation is usually defined as an internal state that arouses, directs and maintains behaviour. Motivation is a dynamic and purposive process. Motivation, thus may regarded as something which prompts, compels and energies an individual to act or behave in a particular manner at particular time for attaining some specific goal or purpose.

Historically, the word ‘motivation’ comes from the Latin root ‘moveers’ which means to move. Thus we can say that in its literal meanings motivation is the process of arousing movement in the organism.

DEFINITION OF MOTIVATION:

Atkins defined Motivation as,

“The term motivation refers to the arousal of tendency to act to produce one or more effects”

Murphy defines;

“ It is a general name for the fact that an organism acts are partly determined by its own nature or internal structure.”

CLASSIFICATION OF MOTIVATION

A classical distinction in motivation is between intrinsic and extrinsic.

Intrinsic Motivation ( Self determined)

Motivation associated with activities that are their own reward. It is the natural tendency to seek out and conquer challenges as we pursue personal interests and exercise capabilities. When we are intrinsically motivated we do not need incentives or punishments because the activity itself is rewarding .

Extrinsic Motivation : (fully determined by others)

Motivation created by external factors such as rewards and punishments . When we do something in order to earn a grade, avoid punishment, please the teacher or for some other reason that has very little to do with the task itself. We are really interested in the activity about what it will gain us.

FUNCTIONS OF MOTIVATION

1.           Motives energies and sustain behaviour

2.           Motives direct and regulate our behaviour

3.           Behaviour is selective- It is directed towards selective goal which individual himself sets.

Factors affecting Motivation

As motivation is a complex process factors that can motivate the behavior in a person can be many.

Goals :  It affects motivation. It may vary from person to person and intensity to reach goal may vary from time to time , in the same person or from person to person. A man may set his goals to become rich. After he has become rich, he continues to board money although his original goal was reached.

Incentives : A person may have abilities and those abilities he may employ as tools to fulfit his ambition but incentives will determine the extent to which he gets motivated towards the work.

Vim and Vigor : Vim and vigor in a human being can also be increased by teachers, parents, friends and members.

The Quality of Environment : If environment is stimulating a person can acquire dynamic living, growing, developing and maturing personality. Environment can secure the attention of the person and enable him to develop interest.

Anxiety : Anxiety can be served as a motivating source in the sense that it can arouse and determine the activity and the  ability of a student to learn.

THEORIES OF MOTIVATION

Considerable research has been done in theory and research of motivation. The overriding concern with motivational theories is due to the interest in behavioural Science. The important theories are stated below.

1.                 Physiological theory of motivation

2.                 Maslow’s theory of self-actualization

3.                 Murray’s theory of motivation

4.                 Theory of achievement motivation

5.                 Psychoanalytic theory

6.                 Theory of intrinsic motivation

7.                 Learning based theory of motivation

PHYSIOLOGICAL THEORY OF MOTIVATION

This theory was developed by Morgan and is popularly known as Central Motive State[C M S]. He held that there is a central motive state which is the basis of all activities and behavior can explained in terms of CMS. He mentioned the following

characteristics features in central motive state.

a.                     Persistent:  A central motive state when once aroused remains persistant and does not require support of any stimuli internal or external.

b.                    General activity :  The motivated organism has heightened bodily activity

c.                     Selectivity: A central motive state result in selective of reaction to stimuli.  The reaction does not depend upon any external environmental stimuli.

d.                    Emission Of certain external behavior pattern: The most

significant feature of central motive state is that it primes or

prompts the organism for appropriate consummatory behavior

MASLOW’S THEORY OF SELF-ACTUALIZATION:

Theory of self-actualization was developed by Abraham Maslow, a professor of Psychology. He has consistently argued that needs are arranged in a hierarchy. As one type of need is satisfied, another higher order need will emerge and become operative in life. He developed his own system of need and categorized them into two division

a.                 Deficit needs and

b.                 Growth need

The needs of the first category include Physiological need such as hunger and thirst. Once these needs are satisfied, the person seeks to satisfy safety needs. Love, belongingness and esteem needs. Under the second category there is one general need called self- actualization. The second important concept of Maslow is that each individual has different nature which should be supported and encouraged.

HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Maslow has developed a hierarchical order of needs from physiological to self- actualization needs. The order of needs starts from lower order to higher order needs. The hierarchy is as follows.

Physiological needs: The most potent need. According to Maslow, when these physiological needs are developed for a long period, all other needs fail to appear or recede in the background.

Safety needs:

When the physiological needs are successfully fulfilled then safety needs become the dominant force in the personality of the individual. Safety needs are many and are mainly concerned with maintaining order and security.

Belonging needs:  This need emphasize basic physiological nature of human beings to identify with the group life; making intimate relationship with other members of society. These needs are dependent on the fulfillment of previous needs.

Esteem needs: It is divided into two categories.

1.                 Self esteem,  self respect,  self regard and self evaluation

2.                 Relating to respect from others: reputation, status, social success and fame.

Self-actualization: The highest need. It means to fulfil one’s individual nature in all aspects, being what one can be. One of the most important aspects of self-actualization is freedom from cultural and self-imposed restrains. Self-actualization is possible when the basic needs of the person are met.

Maslow’s theory emphasizes that motivation to work is rooted in the fulfilment of various category of needs which range from physiological to self actualization.

3.                 Murray’s Theory of Motivation

Murray’s theory of motivation comes under need theory. He developed a detailed system of human behaviour on the basic of his extensive work of human psychology. According to him unsatisfied need would arouse the person to work until satisfaction had been attained. Each need accompanied by a particular feeling or emotion.  Murray does not speak in terms of tension-reduction by the organism in order to engage in different activities. He proposed in his theory that organism does not engage in activities to reduce tension but also to develop tension so that it can be later on reduced. He classified all needs into two broad categories.

1.     Vicerogenic needs: They are primary need, which are

essential for that survival of the organism. They include water, food, oxygen etc.

2.     Psychogenic needs: They are secondary needs, which emerge out of primary needs.

4. Theory of Achievement Motivation

Every one is aware o the fact that wide disparities exist in the economic condition of the various countries of the world. Psychogists thought about these problems in terms of social beliefs, political setup etc. David C. Mc Celland hold the view that psychological study of the individual and the nation can contribute a great deal to understand this problem. According to him psychological and sociological factors are major variables affecting economic growth. According to him human beings differ from one another in the strength of achievement motive. The theory of acheivement****** 5. The Psycho- Analysis theory of Motivation

The concept of motivation in Psycho – analysis as developed by  Freud. There will be repetition of some of the facts but it has been maintained to give a total picture of the concept of invitation. This  concept  of motivation in Psycho – analysis developed against the traditional rationalize interpretation of

behaviour.  Freud objected to the theory of pure

intellectualism as an explanation of human behavior of pure intellectualism as an explanation of human behaviour. He revolutionalized the theory and practice of psychology by proposing unconsciousness motivation and further

advocated that reasons of behavior can be found by analyzing certain procedure of psychological analysis which can disclose the pattern of forces and energies which led to the action. The advantage of this approach was that behaviour was explainable by psychological laws . In 1915 he introduced the concept of instinct. He held that instincts  are the internal sources of stimulation. The individual in order to reduce stimulation is activated to work. He conceived two instincts life and death instincts . The discharge of tensions is called primary process. Tensions may be discharged through hallucinatory images in the absence of motor activity.

6.     Theory of Intrinsic  Motivation

Behavior  in terms of certain biologically inherent drives such as hunger, thirst, sex and maternal behavior and a number of other physiological divers. These physiological drivers are produced as tissue needs of the organism. These

physiological drives are the basis of more complex motives such as prestige money aid safety etc. These more complex motives develop out of the physiological needs that the organism seeks to reduce some kind of stimulation as created by sex, hunger , thirst and pain etc. Several experiments have been conducted on manipulative exploratory and curious behavior animals and small children which give evidence of intrinsic motivation. He reported monkeys persist in manipulating gadgets that resemble puzzles.

7.     Learning – Based Theories of  Motivation

Motivation is the explanation of human behaviour which depends in our concept of the nature of man. According to S-R theories, man is machine which is governed by fixed principles and motivation of behaviour orginates from physiological drives. S-R theorists emphasize  the importance of past experiences to explain the causes of present behaviour. On the other hand cognitive field theories view man as a purposeful, reflective and creative self. Motivation emerges from psychological situation which is created by

disequilibrium in the life space of the individual. The concept

of motivation in the life space  of the individual. The concept of motivation in specific theories. S-R theories may be classified into two broad categories. S-Rtheories without reinforcement and the S-R theories with reinforcement. Under non – reinforcement theorists come Pavlov, Watson and gatherie who emphasized the importance of recency and contiguity between S-R for learning to occur. S-R theories with reinforcement include the theory of Thorndike, Hull and

Skinner.