Nature of Motivation

Have you wondered as to - ‘Why does your father or mother go to work everyday?’ ‘Why do you study for long hours?’ ‘Why do you like to play with your friends?’ or ‘Why does your mother stay up the whole night and care for you when you are feeling unwell?’

Each of these questions has an answer as there is a reason or motive behind each type of activity mentioned. Working, studying, playing and caring are some important activities which are considered purposeful. Motives, wants, needs, interests and desires help explain our movement towards the chosen goals. A need or motive directs us to act or behave in a particular way towards a certain goal.

Thus, you study for long hours to achieve good results and your mother looks after you because of the affection and concern she has for you as her child.

Concept of Motivation

Motivation plays an important role in directing human behaviour. There are several characteristics of motivation. First, it pushes us to reach the goals we have set for ourselves. In order to reach our goals we need to be aroused or feel active. Too little arousal will make us feel dull and relaxed, whereas, too much arousal may make us withdraw from our goal. Hence, we must be motivated to maintain a balanced or optimum level of arousal.

Second, people are motivated to behave in certain ways because of the pleasing and pleasant properties of external stimuli, such as, money, good grades, food, which motivate the person to act in a purposeful or focused manner.

Third, motivation is the result of the person’s thoughts and expectations. It can be of two types: intrinsic motivation that comes from within the person, based on personal enjoyment of any task, and extrinsic motivation which is based on external rewards such as money, pay and grades. You will find that sometimes we work hard and produce high quality work when motivation is intrinsic rather than extrinsic. On the other hand, we are also influenced by the external rewards. In life, both types of motivation are important.

Finally, motivational needs are ordered such that basic needs such as hunger and thirst are satisfied first and then other higher-needs, such as need for achievement and power are fulfilled.