Motivation and introduction to psychology

A slideshow on what is motivation and how is motivation drived

1. Introduction to Psychology

2. Overview Introduction to motivation Factors affecting motivation Needs Drives Motives Intrinsic motivation Extrinsic motivation Understanding motivation Tips

3. What is motivation? Motivation is a need or desire that serves to energize behavior and to direct it towards the goal. It is the process that initiates , guides , and maintains goal-oriented behaviors . It is what causes you to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge. Motivation involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate behavior . In everyday usage, the term "motivation" is frequently used to describe why a person does something. It is the driving force behind human actions .

4. Level of motivation varies from person to person. High motivation brings the person closer to the goal while low motivation keeps the person away from the goal. Motivations are commonly separated into drives and motives.

5. Need and Drives Need is the deficiency of something in the human body or psyche. Drive is the tension produced by the need in the body Drives are primarily biological, like thirst, hunger, sleepiness, and the need to reproduce —all of which lead us to seek out and take part in certain activities. Drives are believed to originate within a person and may not require external stimuli to encourage behavior . These are triggered when there is imbalance in the body. The body always tends to maintain state of equilibrium called “homeostasis”.

6. motives Motives are primarily driven by social and psychological mechanisms , such as work, family, and relationships. They include factors like praise and approval. Some are elaborated in the next slides.

7. Primary motives These are also known as biological/unlearned/ innate motives. A person’s survival is at stake if these motives are not achieved. Hunger : This is demonstrated by contractions of muscles causing discomfort called hunger pangs. Thirst : It is indicated by dryness of mouth. Wetting dry mouth is not enough to fulfil thirst. We need sufficient water for it. Need for oxygen : Oxygen is necessary for blood purification. Lack of oxygen may cause serious brain damage or death.

8. Temperature regulation : Maintenance of normal body temperature (37 C or 98.6 F) is necessary. We try to regulate our body temperature in every possible way e.g., wearing sweaters and using fans. Need for sleep: There is excess accumulation of a toxin called ‘lactic acid’ when tired. After sleep, it disappears and the person becomes active. Sleep deprivation also causes confusion, inability to concentrate, droopy eyelids etc. Need for avoidance of pain: No organism can continue to bear pain. We are motivated to escape from painful stimulus.

9. Drive for elimination of waste: Our body cant bear anything excess. Excess water is sent out in the form of urine or sweat. Solid waste is sent out in the form of stools. Sexual drive: This is the secretion of sex hormones like androgens and estrogens . It is essential for the survival of a specie. Maternal drive : Human need for survival and to carry on species leads to maternal drive

10. Secondary motives They are also known as psychological or learned motives They include: achievement, aggression, power, affiliation etc. These motives can be individualized or personal and vary from person to person

11. Achievement motive: this is a desire to achieve some goal. This is developed in a person who is surrounded by successful people. Aggressive motive: It is a motive to react aggressively when faced with frustrations . Frustration may occur when one is obstructed from reaching a goal or is insulted by others. This motive may even rise in do or die situation. It may be physical or verbal aggression. Power motive: It is a motive to have impact on others and influence people by one’s reputation. One may want people as followers. He expects high prestige and recognition from others.

12. Acquisitive motive : This motive directs the individual to acquire material property. It may be money or other material objects. Curiosity motive : It is the tendency to explore and learn new things. Gregariousness: It is a tendency to associate oneself with other members of the group or same species.

13. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

14. Intrinsic Motivation arising from internal factors generated by the sense of personal satisfaction that they bring for the personal gratification Intrinsic motivation is a critical element in cognitive, social, and physical development; those individuals who are intrinsically motivated are likely to perform better and improve their skills at a given task. Extrinsic Motivation arising from external factors performed in order to receive something from others They do not come from within the individual, but from society—other people. often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition, or praise.

15. examples if you are in college because you enjoy learning and want to make yourself a more well-rounded individual, you are intrinsically motivated. if you are in college because you want to make yourself more marketable for a high-paying career or to satisfy the demands of your parents, then your motivation is more extrinsic in nature. employees might do their work because they want the company to pay them ( extrinsic ), or because they love the work ( intrinsic ). Many athletes are driven by the goal of winning, beating the competition, and receiving praise from fans; they are driven by the extrinsic factors

16. In reality, our motivations are often a mix of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors , and the nature of the mix can change over time. For example, say cooking is one of your favourite hobbies: you love to cook for others whenever you get a chance, and you can easily spend hours in the kitchen. You are intrinsically motivated to cook. Then you decide to go to culinary school and eventually get a job working as a chef in a good restaurant. You are now getting extrinsic reinforcement (e.g., getting paid) for your work, and may over time become more extrinsically than intrinsically motivated.

17. Sometimes, intrinsic motivation can diminish when extrinsic motivation is given—a process known as the overjustification effect . This can lead to extinguishing the intrinsic motivation and creating a dependence on extrinsic rewards for continued performance.

18. Understanding motivation can: Help improve the efficiency of people as they work toward goals Help people take action Encourage people to engage in health-oriented behaviors Help people avoid unhealthy or maladaptive behaviors such as risk-taking and addiction Help people feel more in control of their lives Improve overall well-being and happiness

19. Tips to increase motivation Adjust your goals to focus on things that really matter to you (intrinsic) If you're tackling something that is just too big or too overwhelming, break it up into smaller steps and try setting your sights on achieving that first step toward progress Improve your confidence by focusing on what you have achieved rather than on what you have lost. Remind yourself about what you achieved in the past and what where your strengths lie and aim to use your strengths to your advantage If there are things you feel insecure about, try working on making improvements in those areas so that you feel more skilled and capable (getting online courses, talking to people with similar interests)

20. What factors increase your motivation the most?