Definition of motivation

Internal and external aspects that promote desire and energy in people to be continuously interested and committed to a task, role or topic, or to make an effort to achieve an objective. Inspiration arises from the interaction of both mindful and unconscious factors such as the (1) intensity of desire or requirement, (2) incentive or reward value of the goal, and (3) expectations of the individual and of his or her peers. These aspects are the reasons one has for acting a certain way.

An example is a trainee that invests additional time studying for a test due to the fact that he or she desires a much better grade in the class. Motivation is the psychological function that excites an organism to action towards a preferred objective and elicits, controls, and sustains certain goal directed behaviors.

It can be considered a driving force; a mental drive that obliges or reinforces an action toward a wanted goal. Inspiration generates, controls, and sustains particular goal-directed behaviors.

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For example, appetite is an inspiration that generates a desire to consume. Inspiration has actually been revealed to have roots in physiological, behavioral, cognitive, and social areas. Motivation is conceptually associated to, but unique from, feeling and might be rooted in a fundamental impulse to enhance well-being, minimize physical pain and take full advantage of pleasure. It can also stem from particular physical needs such as consuming, sleeping/resting, and sexual reproduction.

Motivation can be divided into two types: intrinsic (internal) motivation and extrinsic (external) motivation. Intrinsic motivation Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within the individual rather than relying on any external pressure.

Intrinsic motivation is based on taking pleasure in an activity rather than working towards an external reward. Intrinsic motivation has been studied since the early 1970s. Students who are intrinsically motivated are more likely to engage in the task willingly as well as work to improve their skills, which will increase their capabilities.[1

] Students are likely to be intrinsically motivated if they: * attribute their educational results to factors under their own control, also known as autonomy, * believe they have the skill that will allow them to be effective agents in reaching desired goals (i.e. the results are not determined by luck), * are interested in mastering a topic, rather than just rote-learning to achieve good grades. Extrinsic motivation

Extrinsic motivation refers to the performance of an activity in order to attain an outcome, which then contradicts intrinsic motivation. It is widely believed that motivation performs two functions. The first is often referred to as the energetic activation component of the motivation construct. The second is directed at a specific behaviour and makes reference to the orientation directional component.[clarification needed] Extrinsic motivation comes from outside of the individual. Common extrinsic motivations are rewards like money and grades, and threat of punishment.

Competition is in general extrinsic because it encourages the performer to win and beat others, not simply to enjoy the intrinsic rewards of the activity. A crowd cheering on the individual and trophies are also extrinsic incentives. The concept of motivation can be instilled in children at a very young age, by promoting and evoking interest in a certain book or novel. The idea is to have a discussion pertaining the book with young individuals, as well as to reward them. Comparison of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Social psychological research has indicated that extrinsic rewards can lead to overjustification and a subsequent reduction in intrinsic motivation. In one study demonstrating this effect, children who expected to be (and were) rewarded with a ribbon and a gold star for drawing pictures spent less time playing with the drawing materials in subsequent observations than children who were assigned to an unexpected reward condition.[2] While the provision of extrinsic rewards might reduce the desirability of an activity, the use of extrinsic constraints, such as the threat of punishment, against performing an activity has actually been found to increase one's intrinsic interest in that activity.

In one study, when children were given mild threats against playing with an attractive toy, it was found that the threat actually served to increase the child's interest in the toy, which was previously undesirable to the child in the absence of threat.[3] For those children who received no extrinsic reward, self-determination theory proposes that extrinsic motivation can be internalised by the individual if the task fits with their values and beliefs and therefore helps to fulfill their basic psychological needs.