Definition of motivation

Summary

Motivation is an internal state or force that propels individuals to initiate, continue, or terminate goal-directed behavior. It is often described as explaining why people (or animals) act at a particular time, and it is characterized by the direction of the goal, the intensity (strength) of the motivational state, and persistence (how long effort continues). Motivation contrasts with amotivation, which involves apathy or resistance to an activity, and the concept is also used in a broader sense to mean the act of motivating someone or the reason/goal for doing something. There is no single universally agreed academic definition of motivation, because it is complex and different theories emphasize different aspects. Some definitions stress internal factors (psychological desires/volitions or physiological needs), while others highlight continuity or differences between human and animal motivation. Another major debate concerns whether motivation is mostly conscious and rational versus driven by unconscious factors, and some accounts treat motivation as arousal that provides energy for behavior. Motivation is not directly observable, so it is typically inferred or measured using self-reports (e.g., questionnaires about goals, feelings, and effort) and external observation methods (e.g., behavioral changes, and sometimes physiological measures like brain activity).

Key Points

• 1

  Motivation is an internal state/force that drives goal-directed behavior and is described by direction, intensity, and persistence.

• 2

  Academic definitions vary and differ on the roles of internal vs physiological factors, consciousness vs unconscious influences, and whether motivation is arousal-like energy or desire/goal-based reasoning.

• 3

  Because motivation is not directly observable, it is measured through self-reports and external/physiological observation methods.