8.2. Nature of Motivation

The concept of motivation focuses on explaining what “moves” behaviour. In fact, the term motivation is derived from the Latin word ‘movere’, referring to movement of activity.

Motivation is what drives us to do things. It’s the reason behind our actions and behaviors. The term comes from Latin, meaning 'to move', indicating that motivation is about what prompts us to act. For example, students go to school because they are motivated by various factors such as the desire for knowledge, the need for a diploma, or even to make their parents proud.

Think about why you wake up in the morning to go to school. Maybe you want to learn something new or hang out with friends. Each of these reasons is a form of motivation that pushes you to get out of bed and go.

Most of our everyday explanation of behaviour is given in terms of motives. Why do you come to the school or college? There may be any number of reasons for this behaviour, such as you want to learn or to make friends, you need a diploma or degree to get a good job, you want to make your parents happy, and so on.

Motives are the underlying reasons for our behaviors. They help us understand why we do what we do. For instance, if you come to school, it could be because you want to learn new things, or perhaps you wish to connect with others. Understanding motives can help predict how someone might behave in different situations.

Imagine two students: one comes to school primarily to learn while the other is motivated mainly by socializing. Their experiences and the ways they approach school will differ greatly based on their motives.

Some combination of these reasons and/or others would explain why you choose to go in for higher education. Motives also help in making predictions about behaviour.

Understanding a person's motives can help predict their behavior. For instance, a student with a strong need for achievement is likely to work hard and excel in school. By knowing someone's motives, we can anticipate how they might act in various scenarios.

Consider two athletes: one is driven by personal bests while another competes primarily for social recognition. If both are competing, the first might push harder during practice, while the second might focus on impressing others, leading them to handle pressure differently.

Psychologists now use the concept of need to describe the motivational properties of behaviour. A need is lack or deficit of some necessity. The condition of need leads to drive. A drive is a state of tension or arousal produced by a need.

The motivational cycle begins with a 'need', which is something essential that is missing. This need creates a 'drive', a feeling of tension that drives behavior towards fulfilling that need. Once the need is satisfied, the tension decreases and we feel balanced again.

Imagine you have not eaten all day (a need). You start feeling hungry (drive). This hunger motivates you to find food. After eating, the hunger goes away, and you feel content once again. This cycle illustrates how needs and drives work together in motivation.

Need to drive reduction of arousal then leads to goal-directed behaviour.

When a drive is created due to an unmet need, it prompts us to engage in actions that will fulfill that need, which leads to a specific goal. This goal-directed behavior helps us to resolve the tension caused by the need.

Think about studying for an exam (goal-directed behavior) because you need a good grade (need) but feeling nervous about the exam increases pressure (drive). Studying helps reduce that nervousness by making you feel prepared.

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