Kinds of Motivation: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic

LP 8C Theories of motivation 1 08/02/17

Motivation Motivation: A process that energizes, guides, and maintains behavior toward a goal (page 424). Emotions are a primary source of motivation. Theories of motivation have four essential qualities (page 423).

(1) motivational states are energizing. They activate behavior.

(2) Motivational states are directive. They guide you to satisfy a goal or specific need (hunger motivates you to eat, fear motivates you to run away).

(3) Motivational states help animals persist in their behavior until they reach their goal or met their need.

(4) Motivational theories state that motives vary in their strength of energization, directive and persistence.


Achievement: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation Intrinsic motivation: Being motivated to take actions that are themselves rewarding. We engage in activities because we find them rewarding.

• Neil Peart plays the drums and composes lyrics to songs because he finds it rewarding.

• TV shows that try to produce a good show. • We help others because it makes us feel good.

People tend to work harder when they are intrinsically motivated, they enjoy what they do more, and they do it more creatively. Extrinsic motivation: Being motivation to take actions that themselves are not rewarding, but lead to a reward.

• Sam plays in a band because it makes him money. • TV shows that try to produce a show to get high

ratings. • We help others because it gives us fame and a

promotion at work.


Motivation Do our motives, or our reasons for engaging in a behavior make a difference? In the research on prejudice:

• People who attend church with extrinsic motives (meet people, socialize, etc.) rate higher on prejudicial attitudes.

• People who attend church for intrinsic motives (search for knowledge and understanding, way of living, etc.) and atheists rate the lowest on prejudicial attitudes.

In the research on creativity:

• People who are intrinsically motivated, tend to be more creative. o And much more likely to achieve more o And more likely to develop expertise in an area

• People who are extrinsically motivated (reinforcements are external to the individual—money), tend to be less are less creative.

The research on achievement motivation

• Those who strive to learn as much as they can are more likely to succeed in college than those who are motivated to avoid looking bad.


Motivation: Theories of Motivation

Motivation: A process that energizes, guides, and maintains behavior toward a goal (page 424). Theories of Motivation

• Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy

• Drive Theories

• Motivation to eat • Motivation for sex

• Arousal Theories

• Incentive Theories

$$ $$ • Self-determination

• Pleasure/Pain and Approach Avoidance


Needs Hierarchy

Abraham Maslow, a humanistic theorist, proposed a broad motivational model. He proposed that psychology’s other perspectives ignored a key human motive—the desire to strive for personal growth.

Maslow’s concept of self-actualization is hard to

define, test and give too little weight to incentives.


Table 8.2: Maslow’s Characteristics of Self-Actualized People Realism and acceptance

Self-actualized people have accurate perceptions of themselves, others, and external reality. They easily accept themselves and others as they are.

Spontaneity Self-actualized people are spontaneous, natural and open in their behavior and thoughts. However, they can easily conform to conventional rules and expectations when situations demand such behavior.

Problem centered Self-actualized people focus on problems outside themselves. They often dedicate themselves to a larger purpose in life, which is based on ethics or sense of personal responsibility.

Autonomy Although they accept and enjoy other people, self-actualized individuals have a strong need for privacy and independence. They focus on their own potential and development rather than on the opinions of others.

Continued freshness of appreciation

Self-actualized people continue to appreciate the simple pleasures of appreciation of life with awe and wonder.

Peak experiences Self-actualized people common have peak experiences, or moments of intense ecstasy, wonder and awe during which their sense of self is lost or transcended. The self-actualized person may feel transformed and strengthened by these peak experiences.


Drive Theories

Our bodies biological systems are delicately balanced to ensure survival. Homeostasis is a state of internal physiological equilibrium that the body strives to maintain.

For example, • when you are hot, your body automatically tries to

cool itself by perspiring. • when you are cold, your body generates warmth by

shivering. Physiological disruptions in homeostasis produce

drives. These drives are states of internal tension that motivate an organism to reduce this tension.

Behavior is motivated by the desire to reduce internal tension caused by unmet biological needs, such as hunger and thirst (p. 330).


Drive Theories These unmet biological needs “drive” us to behave in

certain ways to ensure survival. Drives such as hunger and thirst arise from tissue deficits.

• When we are hungry, we are driven to eat. • When we are thirsty, we are driven to drink.

When a particular behavior reduces a drive, the

behavior becomes negatively reinforced when the same need state arises again.


Arousal Theories Arousal theories are based on the observation that people find both very high levels of arousal and very low levels of arousal quite unpleasant.

• When arousal is too low, we become motivated to increase arousal by seeking stimulating experiences

• When arousal is too high, we become motivated to reduce arousal by seeking a less stimulating environment.

People are motivated to maintain an optimal level of arousal—one which is neither too high or too low.


Arousal Theories

Arousal and Task Complexity For easy tasks that are more automatic and well practiced, arousal and stress enhances performance, while for difficult tasks that require conscious effort, arousal and stress impair performance.


US Airways pilot Chesley “Sulley” Sullenberg, Feb 2009


General Psychology 203: Personality Introversion and Extraversion

In general, extraverts have a less sensitive nervous system than introverts.

Since Extraverts nervous system is less, sensitive, they need more stimulation than introverts to be at their optimal level. This can mean surrounding themselves and interacting with more people In addition, on the average, extraverts have the approach motivation (motivated by reinforcements), introverts have an avoidance motivation (avoiding punishments and/or negative consequences).


Arousal Theory, Social Perception and the Workplace I was at Burger King the other day around noon. The person taking lunch orders appeared to be very "stressed out", made several mistakes and was having a hard time dealing with the mistakes. I’m glad I managed to get my order in so I don’t have to wait in line like all those other people. She said, "I normally do not take the orders, but work in the back." I quickly thought to myself, “What incompetent person—she’s messing everything up. It’s a good thing I am not that incompetent. Even if I make mistakes, it is because someone isn’t doing their job”.

• Where is the example of arousal theory? • What are the implications for training regarding

arousal theory?


Incentive Theories

Behavior is motivated by the “pull” of external goals and rewards such as rewards, money or recognition.

$ “You’ll get your

fair share. Not no sad 7%”

This approach is based heavily on operant learning

theory (behavior is based on the expectation of consequences such as reinforcements or punishments, Chapter 6), and hence testable.

Reinforcements ____________ behavior Punishments ____________ behavior

• If we think we will be reinforced for the behavior, we are motivated to engage in that behavior.

• If we think we will be punished for the behavior, we are motivated to avoid that behavior.

Incentives are good for motivating behavior, • but incentives are not that good for promoting

creativity (see chapter 9). • In addition, beyond a certain level increasing pay

does not increase job satisfaction.


Hunger and Weight Regulation

Many Americans are obsessed with achieving, or at least getting closer to, the socially desirable goal of thinness. Approximately one-third of all American women and one-fourth of all American males are trying to lose weight, and the weight -loss industry is a $33 billion a year enterprise.

• Based on what you have read in your text, what

advice would you give to a friend who is trying to lose weight?

• A recent finding indicates that 64% of American adults (115 million adults) are overweight or obese. This is a large increase in the last 50 years. Based on what you have learned on intelligence, explain why this gain in weight is not a genetic change in the American population, but most likely an environmental change?

• What factors lead a person to become overweight and obese?

*(from Study Guide for Psychology by Cornelius Rea to Accompany Psychology by Hockenbury and Hockenbury, page 130):



With an obsession with losing weight, consumers are easier to become persuaded by easy remedies such as:

• Weight-loss products such as “Slimming Insoles” that supposedly help you lose weight with every step

• The Svelt-Patch that “melts away fat as you sleep” • Absorb-it-ALL Plus supplements promise you will lose

three inches from your thighs. • A book, Dr. Hirsch’s Guide to Scentsational Weight

Loss, claims that inhaling certain odors will reduce hunger; a one-month supply of aroma “pens” (banana, green apple, and peppermint) sells for $45.

• Subliminal tapes to decrease the motivation to eat. What motivates us to eat? Why do we eat when we aren’t hungry?


Motivation to Eat There are both biological factors and psychological factors that influence our eating behavior. Biological factors

• One of the known factors is the hormone ghrelin (sort of sounds like growling). The presence of ghrelin increases the motivation to eat.

• Another factor is a chemical called leptin that is released by fat cells. When there is a lot of leptin in the bloodstream released by the fat cells, the desire to eat slows down.

• Damage to the ventromedial hypothalamus increases the eating behavior of rats. They will gorge themselves on “the good food” and continue eating beyond what most of us would eat.

• Damage to the lateral hypothalamus decreases the desire to eat (and other behaviors).



Food intake: Does energy in = energy out?

There are many biological, psychological and environmental factors that regulate our food intake.


The physiology of hunger Metabolism: The body’s rate of energy (or caloric) utilization.

• Age: BMR slows down with increased age, especially during the first two decades of life

• Gender: Males tend to have higher metabolic rates than women

• Body size: Heavy people tend to have a higher metabolic rate than slender people*

• Genetics: Evidence strongly suggests that the BMR is influenced by heredity

• Diet: Restricted food intake lowers BMR; excess food intake increases BMR


Set-Point Theory / Settling Point Theory Many researchers believe that there is a set point—a biologically determined “standard” around which body weight (fat mass) is regulated. For example,

• As you eat fewer calories, your BMR decreases • As you eat more calories, your BMR increases

When rats are

• overfed, (metabolism increases) • then put on diets, (metabolism slows—slower weight loss) • then overfed again, (metabolism increases—faster weight

gain) they gain weight faster and lose it more slowly the second time around (page 333).


Psychological Aspects of Eating Often people eat when they aren’t hungry. Factors other than biology are at work that affect eating behavior. Attitudes, habits, and psychological needs regulate food intake.

• “Don’t leave food on your plate” attitude increases the likelihood that we will finish what is on our plate despite feeling full

• “autopilot snacking” while watching TV may lead us to eat even when we don’t feel hungry, thus eating more

• Social expectations—especially for women pressure women to conform to an idealized norm.


Environmental and Cultural Factors Food availability

• Too little • Too much

Food taste and food variety • Good tasting food increases consumption • Food variety increases consumption (eg. buffets)


Factors the Influence Eating Behavior

Biological

• Basil Metabolic Rate (BMR) • CCK—a hormone that helps produce feelings of

satiation (released by small intestines when food arrives)

• Glucose levels (low levels associated with hunger) • Leptin (secreted by fat cells) • Abnormal hypothalamus activity

Psychological

• Attitudes • Habits (automatic eating when watching TV) • We learn to finish what is on our plate even though

we may not be hungry • Classical conditioning (associate McDonalds with fun,

not eating) • Modeling good and bad habits

Environmental factors

• Stress • Food availability

• Too little • Too much

• Food taste and food variety • Good tasting food increases consumption Food variety increases consumption (eg. buffets)


Why is it Hard to Lose Weight? When we gain weight, we increase the size and number of fat cells. When we lose weight, we only decrease the size of the fat cells. Our metabolism decreases when we reduce our caloric intake. This has advantages for survival when food is scarce.


Rat with a Damaged VMH When a particular section of the hypothalamus, called the ventromedial hypothalamus, is destroyed, rats will eat until they become obese-—but only if the food is appetizing. This rat tipped the scales at 1,080 grams, or almost 2½ pounds! (The pointer has gone completely around the dial and registers an additional 80 grams.)

Kinds of Motivation: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic

Documents

Transcript of Kinds of Motivation: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic