Motivational Theories

HUMAN MOTIVATION AND PERFORMANCE THEORIES

1. Instinct

These theories study motivation by focusing on human instincts. This perspective is not emphasized today. However, psychologists still look at the role of biology as it relates to motivation without emphasizing instincts.

· Evolutionary: Darwin looked at how behavior is caused by biology.

· Freud's Instinct Theory: Freud saw instincts as giving energy and that the general source of energy was a person's libido.

2. Need/Personality

These theories focus on need and personality when determining motivation.

· Murray's Need Theory: Needs provide energy for behavior.

· Maslow's Need Hierarchy: Needs exist along a hierarchy. We must fulfill lower level needs before higher level needs can be met. The highest need along the hierarchy is self actualization or attaining one's full potential.

3. Drive/Learning

These theories study motivation by focusing on drives and how specific behaviors are learned and reinforced.

· Watson's Behaviorism: The focus is on observable behaviors and motivation.

· Hull's Drive Theory: Energy for behavior is the result of drives.

· Skinner's Reinforcement Theory: Reinforcement can encourage behaviors.

· Social Learning Theories: Behaviors can be acquired when rewards are not present.

4. Growth and Mastery

People need to process information and develop mastery of skills. People have a need to interact with their environment and motivation omes from the gap between where a person is in regards to their abilities and where they want to be.

· Growth Motivation Theory: This theory developed from the idea that people need to learn to interact with their environment.

5. Humanistic

People are good and have an innate tendency to grow. People have a need to self-actualize.

· Maslow's Need Hierarchy: Needs exist along a hierarchy. We must fulfill lower level needs before higher level needs can be met. The highest need along the hierarchy is self actualization or attaining one's full potential.

· Rogers: Humans have needs and there can be individual differences, He discussed the idea of positive self-regard.

6. Cognitive

Mental representations help to guide or motivate behaviors.

· Piaget's Cognitive Development: This theory looks at the stages if cognitive development.

· Expectancy Theories: People select tasks by evaluating their value.

CREDITS

Subject Matter Expert:

Donna DiMatteo-Gibson, PhD

Interactive Design:

Tara Schiller

Instructional Design:

Megan Eskola

Project Manager:

Kyle Huppert

Image Credits:

© iStock Photo