Psychology of Motivation and Emotion

Prof. M Montagut

UNIT 1
What is motivation and why is it
important?

TABLE OF CONTENT

1.1 Introduction: the big question, what causes the behaviour? What
triggers a behaviour? What makes it stick?
1.2 Why is it important to study motivation?
1.3 Expression of motivation
1.3.1 Observation of behaviour
1.3.2 Involvement (Engagement)
1.3.3 Psychophysiological
measures
1.3.4 Self-reports
1.4 The motivated brain
INTRODUCTION

Motivation is derived from the Latin word movere (to move).

Motivation is the fuel which moves us; the energy which puts us in
action.

Ultimate goal → SURVIVAL

PSYCHOLOGY OF MOTIVATION

1. The study of motivation wants to offer

answers to questions such as what
makes individuals act.

2. In Psychology of Motivation we ask

about…

 Where does motivation come from?

 Which aspects of motivation can we change and which ones

we cannot?

 Under which conditions does motivation increase or decrease?

 Are there different kinds of motivation or is there only one

motivation?
  How does motivation influence the well-being of a person?

3. The study of Psychology of Motivation is a behavioural science:

IT MEANS THAT: Objective evidence is

required.

 Research that generates data must be

peer-revised, who are experts in the specific matter.
 Personal insights are a good starting point, but they
must he supported by empirical data, and they must be
the result of scientific research.

The question for Psychology of Motivation is primarily…

Why we do the things that we do.

Why we chose the things that we chose.

Why we stop doing the things we used to do.

Why we keep doing the things we maintain doing.

WHAT MAKES AN INDIVIDUAL ACT.

THE MOTIVE
The study of motivation is the study of the motives of behaviour.
The reasons of behaviour.
INTERNAL MOTIVES

Needs · Some actions are motivated by the wanting to fulfil a need

They are essential and necessary conditions to

preserve life and nurture growth and well-being.

 Biological needs (hunger, thirst, sleep and

sex)
 Psychological Needs (Relatedness, Competence and Autonomy)
 Social Needs

Cognitions · Sometimes what we ‘think’ or our ‘cognitive processes’

provokes action

Cognitions = mental events (thoughts,

beliefs, expectations, self-concept…)

The cognitive sources of motivation have to

do with how the person thinks (plans or
objectives to carry out a task, expectations of success and failure,
explanations of success and failure, etc.)
Emotions · Sometimes emotions push action

Emotions are phenomenon of short duration that help us adapt to the

opportunities and challenges we face during significant life events. The
provide the ‘perfect’ most efficient action in front of an important event.

SURVIVE

EMOTION BEHAVIOURAL
Joy Maintain behaviour
Sadness Withdrawal /
Anger Aggressiveness /
Surprise Pause
Disgust Reject
Fear Hide

EMOTIONS = SURVIVAL
Each emotion has a function.

FUNCTION / PURPOSE of each emotion

Maintain situation Joy

Accept the loss / reorganize resources / reorganize Sadness

elements in one’s life once the lost element is not there

Defend / Attack Anger

Explore / Warning / Pause before making a decision Surprise

Reject what can be damaging (physical, psychological or Disgust

social)

Protect oneself Fear

EXTERNAL MOTIVES

Environmental, social, and cultural sources of motivation.

Specific stimuli (money) or specific events (being praised)

Environmental sources of motivation

 classroom climates
 parenting styles
 culture
 …
Why is it important to study motivation?
Through the theoretical understanding of motivation, we have insight
of:
• We change behaviour
• Human nature • We develop talents
• Goal setting Explain how • We grow interets
• Striving for • We develop
achievement and power competences
• Emotions • We set goals
• We make plans

Improve our lives and improve lives of others.

Psychology of Motivation is a behavioural science:

Objective evidence is required. We need to be able to measure it.

How can we measure motivation? If we can measure the ‘amount’

of motivation an individual has, how could we do it?

• Observing behaviour

• Measuring what we call

“involvement”

• Registering physiological
activation

• By self-report

We can OBSERVE BEHAVIOUR by measuring:

Effort: % of the total capacity used.

Persistence: time between the beginning of a behavior and its end.

Latency: the time that elapses between when a person is given the
opportunity to do a task and when the person begins to do this task.
 Choice: when two or more courses of action are presented to an
individual, preferring one course of action over another.

Probability of response: number of occasions (%) in which the

person makes a specific response directed to a goal in relation to
the total number of opportunities to do so.

Facial expressions: facial movements.

Body gestures: body gestures (eg, leaning forward, changing

posture, intentionally moving legs, arms).

PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT

It refers to the intensity of the behaviour. There are four aspects of

involvement:

 Behavioural involvement (attention, effort, persistence)

 Emotional involvement (enjoyment and positive emotionality)
 Cognitive involvement (cognitive strategies, self-regulation)
 Agency (self-expression, wilfulness)
PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIVATION

As the person prepares to participate in various activities, the areas of

the brain involved are activated.

In addition, the nervous and endocrine systems release

neurotransmitters and hormones that provide the biological basis for
motivational and emotional states.

Resources such as blood tests, saliva tests, and

equipment that observe neuronal activity (PET)
are used in its measurement.

SELF-REPORT

They are simple to apply and allow us to obtain information from

multiple people at the same time.

They allow us to focus on very specific information.

Problems:

 Lack of correspondence between what it is said and what it is done.

  Lack of
correspondence
between what it is
said and what it is
shown by indicators
of physiological
activity.

The motivated brain