Parental Motivation

Contemplating the number of babies born in the world each day is not a thought most would find important or relevant. The fact is, approximately 255 babies are born every minute, at any given place in the world; that’s 4.3 births every second.[footnoteRef:1] The initial reaction to the aforementioned information may be provoke one to think ‘What is the point? And what does it have to do with motivation?’ First, consider reproduction and procreation as a foundation of continuity, then the goal of reproduction could be thought of as the beginning of evolution, not in the context of science, but in the context of family and generations. Procreation may be the foundation of evolution; however, survival in a competitive world, maintains the process of evolution. In the beginning of the world, survival was based on animal instincts, kill or be killed. An analogy here would be that motivation was driven by hunger. All species reproduce, but not all species were capable of survival. In ancient history, mankind did not rule the earth until humans evolved and changed body structure from that of an ape like appearance to that of modern man. The evolution of man led to the concept of man as the most intelligent animal in existence. Motivated by a need to survive, modern man began to use mental instincts as a means of survival and learned how to create tools, build fires, hunt for food and create clothing; behavior that led to the creation of groups that were socially and culturally adept (BBC).[footnoteRef:2] Before industrialization and technology as it is today, survival and obtaining needed resources was simply a matter of hunting and storing. Those with the most resources were considered the wealthy ones, and maintaining that status could not have been possible without the offspring carrying on the family crest. This may have been a natural process from generation to generation, motivated by the desire to maintain a status. Motivation creates action based on an individual's desire to fulfill specific needs. In clinical terms, the defining nature of motivation are psychological forces that arouse interest and directs attention that leads to behavior that is persistent based on the desire of achieving specific goals (Marlene). Across all cultures, parents desire successful futures of children. However, wanting children to succeed does not, in and of itself, guarantee children will be motivated toward success as a rule. Many factors increase future success of children including, but not inclusive of, educational endeavors, intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, self-perception and competence. This is not to say that successful outcomes in life of all children is dependent on parental influence of children’s personal motivation, however studies have shown that parenting style plays a vital role in successful growth and development of children and are one of the most influencing factor in the development of social competence during early childhood (Steinberg, Bomstein and Vandell).[footnoteRef:3] Parents are the primary source of influence that motivate behavior in children, therefore, it is the responsibility of parents to prepare children to meet the challenges of success by motivating behavior that enhance cognitive abilities, increase personal motivation, and obtain academic achievement. [1: The average annual number of births during a year per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude birth rate. This and related population statistics can be found at http://www.indexmundi.com/world/birth_rate.html ] [2: . As a behaviorally, socially and culturally diverse species, humans have developed art and complex languages. As a species humans cannot survive without tools. They are the only known species to build fires, cook food and clothe themselves. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Human ] [3: Study conducted by Diana Baumrind in 1967 and 1971 observed the impact of parenting styles on social competence development.]

Motivation is a goal orientated action producer. Motivation can influence positive or negative behavior which may be dependent on the source of motivation, and attitude and experience, as well. For example, a child who experiences joy, satisfaction, and a sense of safety, resulting from positive feedback and interaction with parents, may be motivated to behave in a manner that elicits similar emotions of the experience. On the other hand, a child who experiences fear or lacks the need of affection or physical contact by parents or parent, may be motivated toward avoidance and isolation. This may create behaviors that are negative and not conducive of healthy prosocial behavior. In hindsight, personal motivation of children may be influenced by the emotional response between parent and child during interacting. This in turn may be linked to the parent’s style of parenting. Guiding children toward success, and reaching life goals, begins in infancy and continues throughout childhood and adolescence. It is during growth and development in infancy, early childhood, and adolescence that parents are more influencing in how children behave (Steinberg, Bomstein and Vandell). Parenting is critical to the behavior of children and the behavior of parents is critical to motivation of children.

Personal motivation is not an inborn trait, however there are some personality traits, both biological and learned, that influence the development of personal motivation. Learned behaviors that promote personal motivation are behaviors that reflect parenting effectiveness. One critical role in the development of personal motivation is socialization. During early childhood, the experiences of children outside the home environment can influence positive of development of socialization (Gasior). Parenting and the socialization of children observe the behavior of which children learn to recognize and understand expectations of parents through the guidance of parents. For example, introducing a child to books by taking the child on weekly visits to the library and reading to the child encourages the idea that reading is important. Thus the parent is motivating the child to want to learn to read and eventually realize the value of reading in learning and in life experiences. Effective development of social competence results in children who are independent, socially responsible, empowered, and achievement oriented (Steinberg, Bomstein and Vandell).[footnoteRef:4] [4: According to Baumrind “competent child can be described as possessing independence, social responsibility, vigor, and achievement orientation, which is the drive to seek intellectual challenges and solve problems efficiently and with persistence.” ]

Although research studies have shown that culture, family background, and parenting styles are major factors that influence personal motivation toward academic achievement of children, recent studies have shown that parent involvement in children’s schooling, drives children’s personal motivation for academic success (Grolnick). According to Grolnick et al., literature reviewed shows a consistency in parental involvement as an influencing factor in children’s learning outcome (2002).

Parental involvement in children’s schooling may be a significant factor in learning outcome of children in relation to socioeconomic status. Studies have shown that children of families in low socioeconomic status tend to be less inclined to present behavior that leads to motivation toward positive learning outcomes. The perspective that low income families and the lack of various resources may cause children to seek innovative ways to reach goals and expectations of society. Living in housing projects, peer pressure, and depending on welfare can impact on self-perception and the need to fit in. This may result in personal motivation influenced by negative environments, such as delinquency. Children may be motivated by the concept of the ends justifying the means; or behavior that is anti-social and violates social norms in order to satisfy specific and perceived needs. Children may be motivated to conform to behaviors of groups that are the defining nature of juvenile delinquency. Cconformity, by definition, is social influence that cause individuals to change attitudes toward behavior of groups that individuals are members of, which can be any form of group including family or friends; and can be motivated toward positive or negative attitudes and behavior (Shiraev and Levy). Behavior that is negatively motivated may be addressed using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a motivational theory based on utility or needs satisfaction (Ori). The principle of Maslow’s hierarchy is that behavior is motivation by a desire to fulfill unsatisfied needs. Although Maslow’s theory may explain motivation in terms of the desire to achieve positive goals, it can also be used to demonstrate how lack of ability to satisfy human needs can lead to violation of social norms and negative motivation with the desire to satisfy needs.

According to Maslow’s theory, people cannot move to a level of functioning unless basic needs are first met and so on. The first rung of the pyramid are the physiological needs of people and survival, such as the need for food, water, clothing, and sex. In order for people to move beyond the first rung of the ladder or pyramid these needs have to be met (Jones). Once the basic needs are met, then motivation is driven by the need to satisfy a sense of security, such as protection and feeling safe. The next rung of the pyramid that has to be satisfied is the need that people have in wanting to be a part of something such as group membership that is characteristic of gang activity. Seeking to fit in, and meeting the challenge of peer pressure, can motivate the adolescent to conform to negative behavior and adhere to group norms, as a means of satisfying the need to feel a sense of belongingness (Ori). Approaching Maslow’s theory from this perspective shows how adolescents can resort to negative behavior and conform to negative group environments in order to satisfy basic needs and the need to belong. However, parental involvement in children’s schooling can reduce the rate of negative learning outcomes suggested as being prevalent in children of families in low socioeconomic income bracket. It should also be noted that according to Grolnick et al., “Across a wide range of ages and socioeconomic levels, it has been established that when parents are involved, children are more motivated and learning outcomes positive and successful (2002)”.[footnoteRef:5] . [5: Parents differ widely in both their levels of involvement and the types of involvement in which they engage in the behavior of school involvement, and may include activities such as volunteering at school, reading at home, checking homework, communicating with teachers, attending school functions and activities, as well as being supportive of child’s involvement in school programs and groups Grolnick & Slowiaczek, 1994). ]

Another theory of motivation is the self-determination theory which focuses on autonomous and perceived competence, and one that is usually used in motivation in the workplace, but may be valuable in developing and motivating self-determination in children (Jones). Self-determination theory, is a model or framework that links behavior to motivations based on rewards that are either intrinsic or extrinsic motivations. Self-determination theory may also be apparent in how it influences learning in early childhood and in turn build a foundation for learning later in life. Intrinsic motivation is based on interest, satisfaction, and other characteristics that are qualities of desire to achieve. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation is driven by tangible or verbal rewards based on praise or, in the case of children, a sticker placed on a folder that lets all know the child has reached a goal. Extrinsic motivation is completing something with the knowledge that in completion there is a reward or benefit as a consequence, whereas intrinsic motivation is the performance of tasks based on the task in and of itself. This form of motivation aligns with parenting in which motivating desired behavior is learned through operate conditioning. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which future behaviors are affected by the consequences of current behaviors. In operant conditioning, the chances that particular responses will be repeated are contingent upon the type of reinforcement used. With operant conditioning previous behaviors can be reinforced to ensure that they will be repeated (Steinberg, Bomstein and Vandell).

Works Cited

BBC. "Human." Nature: Wildlife. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Human, October 2014.

Gasior, Kathleen. "How Does Socialization Affect Child Development?" 6 December 2012. Mom.me. 4 April 2016.

Grolnick, W. S., Gurland, S. T., DeCourcey, W., & Jacob, K. "Antecedents and Consequences of Mother's Autonomy Support: An Experimental Investigation." Developmental Psychology, 38(1) (2002): 143. Academic Search Complete.

Jones, G. R. Introduction to business: How companies create value in people. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Marlene, Audrey. Motivation. 2011. Web page. 10 March 2016.

Ori, J. "The Hierarchy of Needs for Employees." 2015. Smallbusiness Chronicals. Article. 10 March 2016.

Shiraev, Eric B. and David A Levy. Cross-cultural psychology: Critical thinking and contemporary applications (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2013.

Steinberg, Laurence, et al. Lifespan Development: Infancy Through Adulthood. Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011.