Dictionary.com defines the word motivation as "the act or an instance of motivating, or providing with a reason to act in a certain way." This definition applies to the theories as well as to the word itself. Motivation theories (including the instinct, incentive, and humanistic motivation theories) generally imply that, using the right incentives or under the correct conditions, a person/group of people can be compelled to do something or to act in a specific way; the key is to know what factors drive a person/group of people into action. Motivation theories are often studied closely by various managers, teachers, and leaders due to the fact that those who are in charge of groups of people need to understand what will drive those groups, whether they're employees, students, or citizens, to work, think and act. These theories have also attracted the interest of psychologists, including the famous Abraham Maslow, who conceptualized the hierarchy of needs in his 1943 research paper, "A Theory of Human Motivation." Maslow's hierarchy implies that human beings are compelled to meet their most basic needs (such as sleep, food, and water) before they are able to tackle more complex needs (such as safety and security).
Motivation theories will have a definite impact on not only the beginning our semester-long project, but on its continuance as well. Those of us involved in the initial stages of the project will need to discover what motivates other people (which actually tends to be incredibly hard) to care about and help protect the environment, thus garnering general interest in what we're attempting to do. To spark these desires, we're going to have to decide on the right ways to connect to the interests of different sets of people, whether they're businessmen-and-women, fellow students, or faculty members, because each set of people, as well as each individual person, is going to have his/her own opinion about the environment that we may have to sway.
Articles Related to Motivational Theory:
- What Should We Do about Motivation Theory? Six Recommendations for the Twenty-First Century
Edwin A. Locke, Gary P. Latham
The Academy of Management Review
Vol. 29, No. 3 (Jul., 2004), pp. 388-403
Published by: Academy of Management
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20159050 - In this article, Edwin Locke and Gary Latham recommend six (big) changes that ought to take place in the study of motivation theory. These changes include creating a legitimate, "boundaryless" science dedicated to studying motivation theories, investigating the relationships that exist between trait-specific and situationally-specific motivation, and acknowledging the existence of free will when delving further into the science of motivation theory.
- Working Memory, Motivation, and Teacher-Initiated Learning
David W. Brooks, Duane F. Shell
Journal of Science Education and Technology
Vol. 15, No. 1 (Mar., 2006), pp. 17-30
Published by: Springer
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40188663 - Published by: SpringerStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40197369
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