What drives us? Theories of motivation Flashcards
Instinct theory
Motivation arises from natural selection and certain behaviors are innate and automatic, triggered by specific stimuli.
Emphasizes behaviors driven by survival instincts, like Fight or flight responses in dangerous situations.
Drive reduction theory
Motivation arises when internal physiological systems are in a state of imbalance, prompting biological needs such as hunger and thirst.
Emphasizes homeostasis, also known as internal balance, by reducing these drives through specific actions or behaviors.
Arousal theory
Motivation arises when individuals seek a moderate level of physiological activation (brain activity, heart rate, or muscle tension) to achieve peak performance.
Emphasizes the importance of maintaining an optimal level of arousal for different tasks.
Incentive Theory
Proposes that environmental stimuli motivate individuals by either attracting them towards rewards or prompting them to avoid punishments.
Rewards such as bonuses, job promotion in a workplace context, or punitive measures such as fear of losing one’s job.
Secondary drives
Refers to the ways an organism can enact change to restore homeostasis.
Includes learned experiences such as wealth, financial security.
Homeostasis
Describes the equilibrium (balance) within an organism’s internal environment.
Imbalances can prompt signals within the organism to restore balance, resulting in actions to restore physiological needs.
Arousal
Describes the physiological activation of signals to alert an organism that there is a deficiency and needs to take actions to restore balance (homeostasis) to their internal system.
This can look like changes in blood pressure, brain activity, skin conductance.
Primary drives
Refers to the ways an organism can enact change to restore homeostasis.
Includes primal drives related to basic necessities like water, food, and air.
Yerkes-Dodson model of arousal
Suggests that performance is influenced by arousal levels.
Moderate arousal is linked to optimal performance, whereas low and high arousal hinders performance.
Job characteristics model
Focuses on how autonomy and task significance influence motivation and job satisfaction.
Suggests that certain job characteristics, like skill variety and feedback, can lead to higher levels of motivation and satisfaction.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Categorizes human needs into five levels:
physiological needs,
safety needs,
belonging and love needs,
esteem needs,
self-actualization.
Suggests that individuals seek to fulfill lower-level needs before moving on to higher-level needs.
Herzberg’s two-factor theory
Distinguishes between two types of factors influencing job satisfaction and dissatisfaction: motivator factors and hygiene factors.
Motivator factors such as achievement and personal growth enhance job satisfaction, while hygiene factors such as working conditions and salary relate to job dissatisfaction.
Carrot and stick approach
Suggests that external rewards motivate individuals, whereas negative consequences or punishments hinder motivations.
Performance goals
A form of extrinsic motivation associated with wanting to attain positive outcomes through the demonstration of a skill the individual already has, while avoiding new challenges.
Based on normative standards, which involve comparison of self to others.
Mastery goals
A form of intrinsic motivation associated with satisfaction of learning more to master something and become competent.
Derived from intrapersonal standards based on the evaluation of self.
Physiological cues
Signals from the body that indicate hunger or fullness.
Include sensations such as stomach rumbling, changes in blood glucose levels, and feelings of fullness.
Hunger hormones
Chemical messengers produced by endocrine cells in the body that regulate appetite and hunger levels.
Examples include ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, and cholecystokinin, which suppresses appetite.
Eating
The process of consuming food that breaks it down into molecules in the form of nutrients for the body to consume to satisfy hunger and provide energy for various biological functions.
