According to psychology, there exists a force that guides, maintains and initiates behaviours that are goal-oriented. This force is known as motivation. It leads us to take action to fulfil a certain goal or purpose. Motivation is itself guided by social, biological, cognitive, or emotional forces. People are motivated towards a certain aim in different ways, according to the different theories proposed by psychologists.
The natural programming inside humans is what provides motivation, which is what the instinct theories suggest. Motivation comes from external rewards, according to the incentive theory. Internal anxieties due to unfulfilled needs produce motivation, as suggested by the drive theory. Arousal theory tells us that people’s actions are guided by their levels of arousal. Thoughts and ideas about the future give us motivation, which is what the expectancy theory tells us. All these theories of motivation work differently for different people.
Observing my behaviour and noticing what motivates me tells me that the incentive theory of motivation works effectively for me. External rewards, such as statements or comments that are encouraging and appraising, have helped me a lot in accomplishing my goal. I really can’t work enthusiastically if not given any appreciation for my work. Anything I do or work on requires some encouragement to lead me to work further. I have been noticing this since my childhood when I used to get motivated by good marks on exams and appreciation comments from my parents and teachers, and whenever I did not work hard, my teachers used different techniques to bring about motivation in me.
Not all people respond the same way to the incentive theory of motivation. I have encountered many people for whom the concept of failure works effectively. Once they fail in something, it motivates them to work hard the next time. This doesn’t apply to me as effectively as encouragement or rewards do. In fact, I get more demotivated in the case of failure. Even if I had not done something good or in the way required, I still yearn for some motivating and encouraging comments from the people around me so that I can do better. There was an instance in my life when I failed, and it didn’t help me to work hard and perform better.
Every phase of life has its external rewards. For a school-going kid, the external rewards might be toys or candies. After that, money plays a major role in motivating humans. We all get motivated if we know that we’ll be given a bonus for our performance. Encouragements in the form of bonuses, prizes, shields, etc., give a strong boost to anyone like me. The desire for appreciation and acknowledgement leads the individual to adopt motivated behaviour.
Hence, people gain motivation from different things and in different ways. If an individual gets motivated by one thing, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the other person will also be motivated by the same thing. These theories of motivation help identify an individual’s psyche and mindset, and through these, his or her behaviours can be predicted. If people realize how the other person gets motivated and encouraged, performances will get much better. Parents can get much knowledge about their kids, teachers can help motivate the students to achieve their goals, and team leaders in the workplace can get his or her colleagues to work faster and better. Ellingson states, “Any theory of incentives must be based on assumptions about human nature, and the theorist must balance the desire for realism against the desire for parsimony” (Ellingson et al. 2006, p.2).
Works Cited
Ellingsen, Tore, and Magnus Johannesson. “Pride and prejudice: The human side of incentive theory.” American Economic Review 98.3 (2008): 990-1008.
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