Motivation Theory: What Keeps Humans Motivated
There have been numerous discussions on the different kinds of motivation theory over the years. From Abraham
Maslow and Clayton Alderfer who expanded on Maslow’s structure of needs, to Leon Festinger and David McClelland, it
does not seem that humans do not just do things to do them. If you’re confused then join the club. Why can’t we
just say that humans do what we do simply because we want to? Because much like the baby that figures out how to
reach the very thing they aren’t supposed to have, humans of all ages have a driving force within them to do
things, but the reasoning as to why varies.
Most motivation theory is based on doable tasks or achievements. For example, with the Expectancy Theory there are
things we want or desire and therefore we do what we do in anticipation that we will achieve the goal (or the thing
we want). A young child will clean their room in anticipation of being able to go outside and play. They know this
a task that they can accomplish so there is no problem attaining what they want. In a similar motivation theory, In
Goal-Setting theory, the motivation is that we set and achieve goals with the result of reaching a specific reward
or achievement. One of the differences between these two motivation theories though is that with an expectancy
theory the achievement is easily attainable. Goal setting takes into the consideration the difficulty of the
task.
Another view on motivation theory is looking at what people are considering before undertaking a task. Many
thoughts come into play when we decide on a goal, achievement. Even our values and beliefs take part in the
decision making process of motivation. If something does not sit well within us, our motivation may not be as
strong to act on the task whereas, if we firmly value or think that something is important, our motivation will
reflect that as well. Some theories suggest that we do things based in part on our ability and desire to control
the world around us.
Ask a child why he hit another child, or ask a criminal why he robbed the grocery and you will be examining another
facet of motivation theory. “Why” questions are so often paired with motivation because they seek to answer what
our reasoning for moving in one direction as opposed to another are. If you can answer the “why,” then you will
have successfully found out the motivation for what we have done. This offering of an explanation is called the
“Attribution” motivation theory. It can either have external or internal explanation. Rarely will you find a child
willing to offer up an internal explanation, “I hit him so he could feel how hard I can swing my fist.” More
likely, you will get a child that wants to offer up the external portion of this theory, “He made me do it.”
Researchers are now able to put apply a motivation theory to different parts of life. These theories are now used
in education and instruction, business, and science. Even gender is a factor in motivation theory and is currently
being studied. Scientists are now learning how to control and organize motivation. The use of different drugs is
being tested as motivation enhancers. With technology ever changing, people can even program motivation into their
daily schedules with the use of ipods and blackberry devices. With all the studying of motivation, scientists are
still baffled by people’s lack of motivation, especially when there seems to be no limit on how humans can motivate
themselves. The next time you are motivated to try something new or work towards a goal, think about what kind of
motivation theory scientists would classify you under.
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