Motivation Flashcards
What is motivation?
A process of sensing and fulfilling a need, then when the need is met, to stop pursuing the need.
What are two types of motivation?
- Extrinsic motivation - external source of motivation - provision of a reward
- Intrinsic motivation - internal source of motivation - experience/feeings/thoughts could be the reward i.e. enjoying friend’s company
What test did psychologist David McClelland use to test an individual’s need for achievement?
Henry Murray’s Themic Appreciation Test - individual responses driven by the underlying need for achievement - different answers depending on whether this need was high or low.
Describe the traits of people who have a high need for achievement:
- People motivated to work hard
- Very successful in work
- High level of persistence
- Better grades in high school
- Higher IQ scores
- Tend to choose jobs that are competitive, promise leadership roles, promotions - are successful in business
Who developed the Self-Determination theory?
Deci & Ryan
What are the three basic psychological needs in the SElf-Determination hypothesis?
- Competence - be in control of environment and outcomes
- Relatedness - desire to be connected to others - to belong
- Autonomy - to be in control of selves, acting on own interests and values
Quality of motivation is more important than quantity.
In addition to the need to achieve, what other two motives underly behaviour?
- Need to affiliate - to connect and belong to others
- Need for power (positive expression in planning, managing, leading others)
Both seen as motivators in the work place
How could a manager motivate an employee with a high need for achievement?
- Intrinsinctly motivated - respond to praise, bonuses, recognition for work. Give feedback, praise for high performance
How could a manager motivate an employee with a high need for affiliation?
- Employee works best in a cooperative environment, in teams.
How could a manager motivate an employee with a high need for power?
- Employee would thrive when able to take leadership, and help others - funnels power positively.
How do employees benefit if workers’ motivational needs are met and they have higher job satisfaction?
- Less time off work
- Staff stay for longer periods - less staff turnover
- Improved/increased productivity in the workplace
- Increased profits for business linked to increased productivity of workers
Motivation differs between cultures. Name two types of focus that differ between cultures:
- Individualism - individual achievment - US, Canada, Australia, NZ, Western Europe
- Collectivism - working as a team/group - Latin America, Asia, Africa, Middle East
(Harry Triandis made observation)
Mark Lepper et al (1973) - experiment with school children and motivation. Provision of reward was given to one group of children for pictures drawn. What was the conclusions drawn relating to motivation?
The children who received a reward for their work suffered overjustification - external reinforcement reduced their intrinsic motivation. Motivation became extrinsic. The reward removed the pleasure.
What are three effects of motivation by rewards:
- Can motivate people who have no interest in a task
- If a reward acknowledges good performance, intrinsic motivation can increase - effective.
- If a reward is given without acknowledging good performance, it can reduce intrinsic motivation - ineffective.
What is flow?
When you are completely engaged in an activity and don’t realise time has passed.
What is instinctive theory?
Animal species demonstrate behaviours that ensure survival = instincts. Parents teach skills to offspring = education. Both instincts (nature - high amounts) and education (nurture - lower amounts) involved in honing use of instincts.
What is Fixed Action Patterns?
Another description for instincts.
In species, instinctive behaviours are prompted by a stimuli (object/season etc) - all of species demonstrates behaviour, i.e. nest building skills
What is drive theory?
Where biological drives (food, water, sex) motivate behaviour. Need motivates action to satiate need. Need reduces = drive reduction.
How is homeostasis an example of Drive Theory?
Homeostasis - constantly seeking biological balance in the body. Imbalance motivates seeking balance - seen in behaviour to fix imbalance - dehydrated, seek water to drink, hydrated.
How does Drive Theory fall short?
Only answers the motivations involved in meeting biological needs. Doesn’t address psychological motives - cognition involved in motivation.
How does Freud’s psychodynamic theory explain human motivations?
Names two main subconscious motivators for human behaviour:
- Eros - erotic desire - sexual motivation
- Thanatos - aggression/destructive behaviour
Expression of both needs important to remain balanced physically and emotionally. Congruent with instant theory - eros/thanatos = instincts.
What the levels in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
Basic, biological, needs are met first, then higher, psychological needs can be met.
Level 1 - Biological needs - hunger, thirst
Level 2 - Safety needs - security
Level 3 - Belonging/Affiliation - love, connection
Level 4 - Esteem needs - like self, personal confidence, respect for self
Level 5 - Self-actualisation - reach personal potential, be self-aware, self-accepting, responsive to others, psychologically flexible - embrace change
Level 6 - Self-transcendence - Putting others over self - volunteering etc.
Douglas Kenrick et al (2010) (Evolutionist Psychologists) suggest heirarchy of needs change depending on circumstances. Which three factors is attributed to these changes?
- Functional level of analysis
- Proximal level of analysis
- Developmental level of analysis
What is the Functional level of analysis?
Investigates the function underlying the motivation. Evolutionarily, the function for fulfilling basic needs = survival/propogation of species.
Basic needs - food, water, shelter, warmth, sex
Reproduction needs bring social needs - affiliation, esteem, parenting.
Base needs more important than propagation needs.
What is the Proximal level of analysis?
Experiences/situations in present moment take precedent over basic needs, especially if threatening or rewarding. If the proximal trigger is loud/strong, the proximal need will be met over other needs in that moment - hierarchy of needs shifts in response to demands of the moment.
What is the Developmental level of analysis?
Life’s stages affect the order of motives/hierarchy of needs to reflect the pressing concerns/needs of the stage. Stage of development also affects the responses to proximal triggers.
List one of the main differences between Maslow’s and Kenrick’s hierarchy of needs:
Self-actualisation (Maslow), Mating and Parenting (Kenrick) - top layer of pyramid. Esteem level added status (based on proximal stimulus and developmental change). Sex included with love/affiliation level.
