Survivalist Pro
Photo by Manuel Torres Garcia Pexels Logo Photo: Manuel Torres Garcia

What are 3 main areas of motivation?

Components of Motivation There are three major components to motivation: activation, persistence, and intensity. Activation involves the decision to initiate a behavior, such as enrolling in a psychology class.

What are the 3 meals of the day?
What are the 3 meals of the day?

3 main meals of the day Breakfast – eaten within an hour or two after a person wakes in the morning. (Index) ... Lunch – eaten around mid-day,...

Read More »
Which is more popular Xbox or PlayStation?
Which is more popular Xbox or PlayStation?

But, despite similar performance and price tags, the PS5 has managed to be more popular with shoppers. Sony recently announced that more than 30...

Read More »

Motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. Motivation is what causes you to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge.

A Closer Look at Motivation

Motivation involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term motivation is frequently used to describe why a person does something. For example, you might say that a student is so motivated to get into a clinical psychology program that she spends every night studying. "The term motivation refers to factors that activate, direct, and sustain goal-directed behavior... Motives are the 'whys' of behavior—the needs or wants that drive behavior and explain what we do. We don't actually observe a motive; rather, we infer that one exists based on the behavior we observe."

(Nevid, 2013)

What exactly lies behind the motivations for why we act? Psychologists have proposed different theories of motivation, including drive theory, instinct theory, and humanistic theory. The reality is that there are many different forces that guide and direct our motivations.

Don't Let Stress Take Control

If you feel like stress is taking over your life, explore how you can better manage its effects and find comfort in surprisingly simple routines.

LEARN MORE

Components of Motivation

Anyone who has ever had a goal (like wanting to lose 20 pounds or run a marathon) probably immediately realizes that simply having the desire to accomplish something is not enough. Achieving such a goal requires the ability to persist through obstacles and endurance to keep going in spite of difficulties.

There are three major components to motivation: activation, persistence, and intensity.

Activation involves the decision to initiate a behavior, such as enrolling in a psychology class. Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist. An example of persistence would be taking more psychology courses in order to earn a degree although it requires a significant investment of time, energy, and resources. Intensity can be seen in the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal. For example, one student might coast by without much effort, while another student will study regularly, participate in discussions, and take advantage of research opportunities outside of class. The first student lacks intensity, while the second pursues his educational goals with greater intensity.

Theories of Motivation

Does coding require math?
Does coding require math?

While some fields of programming require you to have extensive knowledge of mathematics (such as game development and machine learning), you don't...

Read More »
How do you survive a nuclear war?
How do you survive a nuclear war?

"You'd want to go in the direction away from the wind," Redlener said, adding: "Get as far away as you can in the next 10 to 15 minutes, and then...

Read More »

What are the things that actually motivate us to act? Psychologists have proposed different theories to explain motivation: Instincts: The instinct theory of motivation suggests that behaviors are motivated by instincts, which are fixed and inborn patterns of behavior. Psychologists including William James, Sigmund Freud, and William McDougal have proposed a number of basic human drives that motivate behavior. Such instincts might include biological instincts that are important for an organism's survival such as fear, cleanliness, and love. Drives and Needs: Many of your behaviors such as eating, drinking, and sleeping are motivated by biology. You have a biological need for food, water, and sleep. Therefore, you are motivated to eat, drink, and sleep. Drive theory suggests that people have basic biological drives and that your behaviors are motivated by the need to fulfill these drives. Arousal Levels: The arousal theory of motivation suggests that people are motivated to engage in behaviors that help them maintain their optimal level of arousal. A person with low arousal needs might pursue relaxing activities such as reading a book, while those with high arousal needs might be motivated to engage in exciting, thrill-seeking behaviors, such as motorcycle racing.

Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation

Different types of motivation are frequently described as being either extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic motivations are those that arise from outside of the individual and often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition, or praise. Intrinsic motivations are those that arise from within the individual, such as doing a complicated crossword puzzle purely for the personal gratification of solving a problem.

A Word From Verywell

Understanding motivation is important in many areas of life, from parenting to the workplace. You may want to set the best goals and establish the right reward systems to motivate others as well as to increase your own motivation. Knowledge of motivating factors and manipulating them is used in marketing and other aspects of industrial psychology. It's an area where there are many myths and everyone can benefit from knowing what works and what doesn't.

By Kendra Cherry

Why are beards not allowed in Navy?
Why are beards not allowed in Navy?

The main obstacle to beards in the sea service is the Navy's assertion, based on Naval Safety Center studies, that facial hair would obstruct the...

Read More »
Why did they stop making Gameboys?
Why did they stop making Gameboys?

The Game Boy was the dominant handheld console on the market for almost two decades, selling millions of examples. But the console died a quiet...

Read More »
What is the healthiest way to eat an egg?
What is the healthiest way to eat an egg?

1. Poached Eggs. Based on the goals of getting the most nutrients out of your eggs with the least risk of oxidizing cholesterol, poaching is the...

Read More »
Is it hard living off the grid?
Is it hard living off the grid?

There's no doubt about it, living off the grid is tough. Most of your day-to-day time is spent learning how to survive on your own without the...

Read More »