2021

The Theory of Motivation

RIFLAN AHAMED

ICBT KANDY CAMPUS | KD/DIPPCY/07/05

Acknowledgement

Table of Contents
Acknowledgement .......................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction to Motivation .......................................................................................................... 3
Definition of Motivation ............................................................................................................. 3
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs ........................................................................................................ 5
About Abraham Maslow ............................................................................................................. 5
Thierry of Abram Maslow........................................................................................................... 5
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 8
References ....................................................................................................................................... 9

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Acknowledgement

I am really grateful because I have managed to complete the assignment within the given time. I
am very much thankful to Mrs. Amani Syam the course lecturer for her loving inspiration,
valuable guidance, patronage and encouragement at various stages of the course period.

Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to my friends and respondents for the
support and willingness to spend some time to complete the assignment

Riflan Ahamed

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Introduction

Introduction to Motivation
The root of the human behavior is motivation. Without motivation we can’t behave. That’s why
motivation is important determinant of human behavior. We behave, eat, drink, act due to
motivation. So, what are the motives behind the human behavior? How we fulfil these motives?
What will happen if we fail to fulfil these motives? Psychologists has tried to find out answers of
these questions. Motivation basically 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.

Definition of Motivation
The term motivation literally means to move or the activate. In this sense, anything that is
responsible for internal or external activity may be called as motivation. Motivation can be
defined as the process that gives behavior its energy and its goals. In other words, motives are
inferences from behavior. For example, we might observe that a student works hard at almost
every task that comes along; from this, we might infer a motive to achieve.

Motivation is the process by which activities are started, directed, and continued so that
physical or psychological needs or wants are met.
- Petri (1996)

Motivation is any general condition internal to an organism that appears to produce goal-directed
behavior.
- Lefton L. A. (1985)

Motivation concept comes from the Latin word ‘movee’, which means “to move”. Motivation is
that “moves” people to do the things they do. There are different types of motivation. Needs,
wants, drive, incentive, ambitions, goal and aspiration these all words are synonyms to
motivation. The root of the behavior is motivation. It supplies the energy for behavior. If we
observe carefully the definition of motivation there and some basic characteristics of motivation.

 Motivation promotes human behavior.

 Motivation directs human behavior.

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 Motivation is an internal energy.
 Motivation gives energy to fulfil goals.
 Motivation is the root of the behavior

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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

About Abraham Maslow

Abraham Harold Maslow, also called Abraham H. Maslow, (born April 1,
1908, New York, New York, U.S.—died June 8, 1970, Menlo Park,
California), American psychologist and philosopher best known for his self-
actualization theory of psychology, which argued that the primary goal of
psychotherapy should be the integration of the self.

Thierry of Abram Maslow

Humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow (1980) proposed hierarchy of needs. According to
Maslow there are several levels of needs that person must strive personality fulfilment.
According to Maslow, the point that is sheldom reached at which people have sufficiently
satisfied the lower needs and achieved their full human potential.

These needs include deficiency needs and growth needs. Deficiency needs are needs of the body,
such as need for food or water, whereas growth needs are for desires like having friends or
feeling good about oneself. For a person to achieve self-actualization, which is the highest level
of growth needs, the primary, basic needs must be fulfilled. Pyramid shows that the Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs as a at the bottom level of the pyramid consists physiological needs such as
food, mater and rest. Once those needs are net, safety or security becomes important and
involves feeling of secure. Belongingness and love are the needs for friends and companions as
well as to be accepted by others, and self-esteem is the need to feel that one has fulfil something
good or earned the esteem of others. Above the esteem needs on the hierarchy come the
cognitive needs or the need to know and understand the world. Above the cognition needs are the
aesthetic needs, which include the need for order and beauty and are typical of artistic people.
Once all pyramid. In this pyramid most basic needs for survival one at the bottom and the highest
needs are at the top of the pyramid. This type of ranking of the needs (motives) is called
hierarchy of needs.

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At the bottom level of the pyramid consists physiological needs such as food, mater and rest.
Once those needs are net, safety or security becomes important and involves feeling of secure.
Belongingness and love are the needs for friends and companions as well as to be accepted by
others, and self-esteem is the need to feel that one has fulfil something good or earned the esteem
of others. Above the esteem needs on the hierarchy come the cognitive needs or the need to
know and understand the world. Above the cognition needs are the aesthetic needs, which
include the need for order and beauty and are typical of artistic people. Once all these needs are
met, it is possible to be concerned about self-actualization needs. Self-actualization is the point
that is sheldom reached at which people have sufficiently satisfied the lower needs and achieved
their full potential.

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In this hierarchy Maslow (1971) added a higher need called transcendence above the self-
actualization needs. Transcendence involves helping others to achieve their full potential. People
move up the Pyramid as they go through life, gaining wisdom and the knowledge of how to
handle many differed situations. But a shift in life’s circumstances can result in a shift down to a
lower need.

Cross-cultural studies suggests that the order of needs of the hierarchy does not always hold true
for other cultures, particularly those cultures with a stronger tendency than the culture of the U.
S. To avoid uncertainty, such as Greece and Japan. In those countries security needs are much
stronger than self-actualization needs in determining motivation.

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Conclusion

Motivation is a cause of our behavior motivation means to more or to energize or to activate. We

one having physiological motives and social motives.

Maslow proposed hierarchy of needs through pyramid. In this he categorized deficiency needs &
growth needs. Physiological needs are primary needs. We have to fulfil these needs. Hunger,
thirst and sex motives are the physiological motives. Achievement and aggression motives are
the social motives. Physiological motives are inborn and social motives are learned.

Social motives such as achievement and aggression are learned motives. The need for
achievement is a motive to accomplish things and to be successful in performing tasks. Need of
achievement is related with economic growth of the society. Aggression is another social motive
hostile and instrumental aggression the types of aggression. Through various psychotherapy we
can lesser or reduce aggressive behavior.

Achievement motivation is a social need that directs a person to strive constantly for excellence
& success, and any behavior whose goal is to harm or injure another person thing is aggression

Self-actualization is the point that is Sheldon reached at which people have sufficiently satisfied
the lower needs & achieved their full potential.

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References

C.T. Morgan, R. K. (1986). Introduction to Psychology, 7th edition. New Delhi: McGraw Hill
Book Company. Retrieved from http://docshare01.docshare.tips/files/9501/95014040.pdf
Feldman, R. S. (2005). Understanding Psychology 6th edition. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill
Publishing Limited. Retrieved from https://www.mheducation.ca/essentials-of-
understanding-psychology-9781259654800-can-group
Meyer, S. C. (2006). Psychology, South Asian Edition. Dorling Kindersley (India). Retrieved
from
https://books.google.lk/books?id=tTIQqdi35joC&pg=PR2&lpg=PR2&dq=Psychology,+
South+Asian+Edition,+Indian+subcontinent+Adaptation,+2008,+published+by+Dorling
+Kindersley+(India)+Pvt.+Ltd;+Licensees+of+Pearson+Education+in+South+Asia&sou
rce=bl&ots=mpVLJkM1xE&
Myers, D. (1989). Psychology, 2nd edition. New York: Worth Publishers IUE. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344368077_Social_Psychology_2nd_Edition

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