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Motivation is an internal state that

activates behavior and directs it toward a
goal

Sources:
Leah Somerville, PhD https://jacksonlibertypsych.weebly.com/power-points.html
Dawn Delaney, PhD
Melissa Schaefter

FOUR THEORIES OF MOTIVATION INSTINCT THEORY

Instincts We are motivated by a variety of instincts

(innate tendencies that determine behavior )
Drive-Reduction Theory
• early 1900’s.
Incentive theory • Do not explain behavior; simply label it

Cognitive theory

Drive-Reduction Theory It’s more than just a DRIVE……

We have needs that produce drives (an Infant attachment to their mothers
internal condition that orients an individual
toward a specific goal) Drive-Reduction Theory: Hunger & Thirst

Biological needs drive us to action. We are Harry Harlow proved that a loving, comforting touch
motivated/driven to reduce our needs. (contact comfort) motivated monkeys more than hunger
or thirst. Incentives (things we learn to value) are a key to
• Hunger drives us to eat motivation
• Fatigue drives us to rest

Focuses on physiological needs

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INCENTIVE THEORY
Incentives are an external stimulus, reinforcer, or
reward that motivates behavior

Drives and Incentives work together

Hunger may cause you to walk to the café ( drive). The
incentive is the cheese steak.

COGNITIVE THEORY
Actions are the result of Intrinsic & extrinsic motivations

Intrinsic: comes from within. We engage in

behaviors because they are personally rewarding

Extrinsic: comes from outside. We engage in

behaviors that reduce biological needs or help us
obtain incentives or external rewards

Biological Basis of
Hunger
Biological Needs - physiological
 Hunger does NOT
requirements necessary for survival come from our
stomach.
Social Needs – psychological needs It comes from our…
acquired through learning and experience  Brain
What part of the brain?

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In the 1960’s it was discovered that hunger
comes from………..
The Hypothalamus
McClelland’s Theory of Needs
McClelland affirms that we all have three
motivating drivers, which do not depend on our
gender or age. One of these drives will be
dominant in our behavior. The dominant drive
depends on our life experiences.    a need for love, belonging and social acceptance. People with a high need for
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Which needs to we satisfy first?
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The Psychology of Hunger
• What psychological and
cultural factors influence
hunger?
• Externals: people whose
eating is triggered more by
the presence of food than
internal factors.
a need to accomplish and demonstrate own competence. People with a
high need for achievement prefer tasks that provide for personal responsibility and results
based on their own efforts.  They also prefer quick acknowledgment of their progress.
a need for controlling own work or the work of others. People with a high need
for power desire situations in which they exercise power and influence over others.  They
aspire for positions with status and authority and tend to be more concerned about their
level of influence than about effective work performance.
affiliation are motivated by being liked and accepted by others.  They tend to participate
in social gatherings and may be uncomfortable with conflict.
 Important to remember, that Maslow’s definition of a Self
actualized person:
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Characteristics of self-actualizers

v Efficient perceptions of reality. ...

v Comfortable acceptance of self,
others and nature. ...
v Reliant on own experiences and
judgement. ...
v Spontaneous and natural. ...
v Task centering. ...
v Autonomy. ...
v Continued freshness of appreciation.
...
v Profound interpersonal relationships.

Alderfer’s ERG Theory

EMOTIONS
C. P. Alderfer, an American psychologist, developed Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs into a theory of his own.

His theory suggests that there are three groups of core needs:
existence (E), relatedness (R), and growth (G). These groups are
aligned with Maslow’s levels of physiological needs, social needs,
and self-actualization needs, respectively. Emotion is a set of complex reactions to stimuli involving
subjective feelings, physiological arousal, and observable
behavior.

Motivation & Emotion

Four Components of Emotion
Motivation is the source of our behavior. Emotion is the
feelings associated with our behavior. 1. Experience a feeling (fear, terror)

Emotions can function as motivation 2. Interpret, appraise some stimulus (ex. Shark =
• i.e. Hit someone because you are angry
• i.e. do it because it makes you happy
serious threat)

3. Physiological response (heart rate or breathing

change)

4. Show observable behaviors (cry, panic, freeze)

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Physiological Theories of
Emotion
Main Belief – Emotions derive from physical
changes in the body
Physiological changes MAY NOT CAUSE emotions but
they certainly increase their intensity.
i.e. fear heightened when heart races (panic attack)
The James-Lange theory is one of the best-known examples of a
physiological theory of emotion. Independently proposed by
psychologist William James and physiologist Carl Lange, the
James-Lange theory of emotion suggests that emotions occur as a
result of physiological reactions to events.
This theory suggests that seeing an external stimulus leads to a
physiological reaction. Your emotional reaction is dependent upon
how you interpret those physical reactions.
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There is a large debate on the order that the
four basic components occur in.
Therefore, we have different theories on Emotion .
Physiological Theories
Cognitive Theories
Cognitive Theories of Emotion
Main Belief – Emotions result from mental processes
and physiological changes working together
For example, suppose you are walking in the woods and
see a grizzly bear. You begin to tremble, and your heart
begins to race. The James-Lange theory proposes that
you will conclude that you are frightened ("I am
trembling. Therefore, I am afraid"). According to this
theory of emotion, you are not trembling because you
are frightened. Instead, you feel frightened because you
are trembling.
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More specifically, the theory proposes that emotions

result when the thalamus sends a message to the
brain in response to a stimulus, resulting in a
physiological reaction. At the same time, the brain
also receives signals triggering the emotional
experience. Cannon and Bard’s theory suggests that
the physical and psychological experience of emotion
happen at the same time and that one does not
cause the other.

Schachter and Singer’s theory draws on both the James-Lange theory and the
Cannon-Bard theory. Like the James-Lange theory, the Schachter-Singer theory
proposes that people infer emotions based on physiological responses. The
critical factor is the situation and the cognitive interpretation that people use
to label that emotion.

Like the Cannon-Bard theory, the Schachter-Singer theory also suggests that
similar physiological responses can produce varying emotions. For example, if
you experience a racing heart and sweating palms during an important exam,
you will probably identify the emotion as anxiety. If you experience the same
physical responses on a date, you might interpret those responses as love,
affection, or arousal.

Cognitive Appraisal Theory

According to appraisal theories of emotion, thinking must occur first
before experiencing emotion. Richard Lazarus was a pioneer in this area
of emotion, and this theory is often referred to as the Lazarus theory of
emotion.

According to this theory, the sequence of events first involves a stimulus,

followed by thought, which then leads to the simultaneous experience of
a physiological response and the emotion. For example, if you encounter
a bear in the woods, you might immediately begin to think that you are in
great danger. This then leads to the emotional experience of fear and the
physical reactions associated with the fight-or-flight response.

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“Emotion regulation” is a term generally

used to describe a person's ability to
effectively manage and respond to an
emotional experience. People
unconsciously use emotion regulation
strategies to cope with difficult situations
many times throughout each day. ...
Self-injury is considered an unhealthy
coping strategy.