Complete attachment 3

1. There are many different theories regarding motivation. Pick one of the historical perspectives and explain it below!

2. Motivation refers to the will or reason leading an individual to take a specific action. Motivation is a force that is driven by the inner desire to achieve or obtain a goal. There are many different theories regarding motivation and what drives individuals to the behaviors and extremes to achieve their goals. One motivational theory that I find to be very interesting would be the instinct theory of motivation. The instinct theory of motivation implies that motivation is driven by our biological or genetic programming or make up. I find this to be interesting because this theory suggests that we are motivated by what we need but over time humans have become motivation to want things for other reasons.

Reference:

Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2007). Abnormal Psychology (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.m

3. This chapter discussed the historical perspectives on motivation. The perspective that I will be discussing is conditioning theory. Conditioning theory depicts motivation in terms of response caused by classical conditioning and operant conditioning (Schunk, 2016).

Classical conditioning occurs when the conditioned stimulus causes a conditioned response in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus (Schunk, 2016). For example, given the fact that I have been in the military for almost twenty years my body has become accustom to doing certain things at a particular hour. Since, joining the military my body has become accustom to eating lunch around 12 O' clock. I've noticed that since my body has become accustom to eating around 12 that even if I'm not thinking about food once I recognize that the time is 12 O'clock I automatically get hungry.

Operant conditioning is the probability that a particular response will occur in the presence of a certain stimulus (Schunk, 2016). Stimulus under this condition can vary from environmental, genetics, and up brining. For example, the reason for me pursuing my master's degree is due to the fact that me achieving a master's degree is an accomplishment that my mother and father did not achieve. My stimulus for this accomplishment is driven by the fact that I would like to take advantage of the opportunities that I have been blessed to have.

Schunk, D. H. (2016). Learning theories: An educational perspective (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education

4. One of the theories regarding motivation includes Humanistic theories. According to Schunk (2016), Humanistic theories as applied to learning are largely constructivist and emphasize cognitive and effective processes. They address people's capabilities and potentialities as they make choices and seek control over their lives(Schunk 2016). Humanistic theories of motivation are based on the idea that people also have strong cognitive reasons to perform various actions. This is famously illustrated in Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which presents different motivations at different levels. First, people are motivated to fulfill basic biological needs for food and shelter, as well as those of safety, love, and esteem. Once the lower level needs have been met, the primary motivator becomes the need for self-actualization, or the desire to fulfill one's individual potential (Schunk 2016).

Schunk, D (2016) Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective (7th ed) Boston, MA: Pearson Education

5. Maslow focused on a "hierarchy" of needs; this involves the belief that we need to meet a lower level need before we can even attempt to meet a higher level need. The top level is self-actualization. Rogers believed that we all have the in-born drive for fulfilling our potential, which built upon Maslow's idea of self-actualization. However, through our interactions with those in our environment, we may develop conditions of worth; meaning that we feel that we have to act in a certain way in order to be loved and accepted. This leads to feelings of incongruence between our real selves and the ideal selves that we portray (sort of like a facade), which can stand in the way of our actualizing tendency. This could be explained, then, as the reason for symptoms/behaviors (i.e., aggression, sex, substance use, etc.). So, treatment should provide the proper conditions/attitudes in order to remove conditions of worth and allow the actualizing tendency to become strong again, which should lead to a reduction in the problematic behaviors and a stronger identity. Which theory do you and others think can explain motivation better?

6. A drive involves an internal imbalance that motivates animals/humans to reach a particular goal, which in turn, reduces that imbalance. Example: hunger drives us toward food, thirst drives us toward drinks, cold drives us toward finding warmth. Some drive theories link drives and reinforcement--meaning that if something reduces an imbalance (meets a need), it is reinforcing. For example, if you are thirsty, water is a reinforcer because it reduces the imbalance experienced. However, if you are not thirsty, water is not reinforcing. Can this theory explain all human behavior? Why or why not?

7. It is fascinating to catch ourselves and realize that we often do attribute our mistakes to external factors and others mistakes to internal factors... For example, think about the last time you had a bad experience with a server in a restaurant. What were some of the thoughts you had about that person? How does attribution theory explain this?

8. According to incentive theory, behavior is primarily motivated by the incentive of extrinsic factors. Motivation refers to a desire, need, or drive that contributes to and explains behavioral changes. In general, motivators provide some sort of incentive for completing a task. One definition of a motivator explains it as a force "acting either on or within a person to initiate behavior." In addition to biological motives, motivations can be either intrinsic (arising from internal factors) or extrinsic (arising from external factors). Incentive theory argues that people are primarily extrinsically motivated--meaning that most motivations stem from extrinsic sources. Intrinsically motivated behaviors are performed because of the sense of personal satisfaction that they bring. Extrinsic rewards are often used to impact someone who shows little interest in a potentially useful activity. Incentive theory is based on the idea that behavior is primarily extrinsically motivated. It argues that people are more motivated to perform activities if they receive a reward afterward, rather than simply because they enjoy the activities themselves.

Reference:

B. (n.d.). Boundless Psychology. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/theories-of-motivation/