DIGITAL MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY
Lecture 02
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Theories of motivation
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
Definition of Motivation
A motive is a need, desire, or other impulse that brings
about an action.
Motivation refers those wishes, desires, drives that
stimulate or activate a man to do things.
Motivation - the process of arousing and sustaining goal-
directed behavior.
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
The Necessity
Why do we need to know about motivation?
Help you understand your behavior and the
behavior of others
Can help you to develop an effective digital
content and motives of change
Offers conceptual tools for analyzing motivation
problems in production
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
Motivation theories vs Psychology
Motivation theories are developed by
psychologists and management specialists to
identify what drives individuals.
These theories also explore how organizations
can leverage them to enhance performance.
Motivation is a dynamic force that propels
employees to pursue personal and
organizational objectives
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Motivation theories vs Psychology
Motivation theories are a key part of
psychology because they help explain
what drives human behavior.
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Conceptual approaches to motivation
The Incentive Theory of Motivation
Instinct approach
Drive reduction theory
Arousal approaches
cognitive approach
Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy
Expectancy value theory
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The Incentive Theory of Motivation
began to emerge during the 1940s and
1950s, building on the earlier drive theories
established by psychologists such as Clark
Hull.
What forces are behind your actions?
Actions are often inspired by a desire to gain
outside reinforcement (incentives).
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
The Incentive Theory of Motivation
There are many different reasons why
people do things. Sometimes people are
motivated to act because of internal
desires and wishes, but at other times,
behaviors are driven by a desire for
external rewards.
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
The Incentive Theory of Motivation
The incentive theory proposes that
“people are pulled toward behaviors that
lead to rewards and pushed away from
actions that might lead to negative
consequence”
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
The Incentive Theory of Motivation
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
Reflection
You can probably think of many
different situations where your
behavior was directly influenced by the
promise of a reward or punishment.
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
Examples
You studied for an exam in order to get a good
grade.
People ran a marathon in order to receive
recognition (medal).
You took a new position at work in order to get a
raise on salary.
All of these actions were influenced by an incentive
to gain something in return for your efforts.
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
The Instinct Theory of Motivation
Psychologist William McDougall was one of the first to write
about the instinct theory of motivation.
He suggested that instinctive behavior was composed of three
essential elements:
perception
behavior
and emotion.
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
The Instinct Theory of Motivation
Instincts are goal-directed and innate
patterns of behavior that are not the
result of learning or experience.
Instinct theory of motivation states that
“all organisms are born with innate
biological tendencies that help them
survive.”
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
The Instinct Theory of Motivation
Examples
Infants have an inborn rooting reflex that
helps them seek out a nipple a feeding
time.
birds have an innate need to migrate
before winter.
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
The Instinct Theory of Motivation
Both of these behaviors occur naturally
and automatically.
They do not need to be learned in order to
be displayed.
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
Criticisms of Instinct Theory
Instincts cannot scientifically tested/proved.
Instincts don't explain all behaviors.
Instinct does nothing to explain why certain
behaviors appear in certain instances but
not in others.
Ms. Mevis Steven LOGO
Drive-Reduction Theory
The drive reduction theory of motivation became
popular during the 1940s and 1950s as a way to
explain behavior, learning, and motivation.
The theory was created by behaviorist Clark Hull
and further developed by his collaborator
Kenneth Spence.
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Drive-Reduction Theory
Hull based his theory on the concept
of homeostasis.
The idea that the body actively works to maintain a
certain state of balance or equilibrium”.
For example, your body regulates its temperature in
order to ensure that you don't become too hot or
too cold. Hull believed that behavior was one of the
ways that an organism maintains this balance.
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Drive-Reduction Theory
Hull suggested that all motivation arises as a
result of these biological needs.
Hull used the term drive to refer the state of
tension caused by biological or physiological
needs.
A drive creates an unpleasant state, a tension
that needs to be reduced.
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Drive-Reduction Theory
Examples of drive are:
i. Thirst
ii. hunger
iii. and the need for warmth
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The Arousal Theory of Motivation
The arousal theory of motivation suggests that
people are driven to perform actions in order to
maintain an optimum level of physiological
arousal.
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The Arousal Theory of Motivation
What exactly is the optimal level of
motivation?
It varies from one individual to the next.
Some people may require a higher level of
arousal, which might motivate them to seek
out exciting and stimulating activities.
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The Arousal Theory of Motivation
And other people may do better with much lower
arousal levels, so they might feel obligated to
seek out calming and relaxing activities.
According to the arousal theory of motivation,
each person has a unique arousal level that is
right for them.
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The Arousal Theory of Motivation
When our arousal levels drop below these
personalized optimal levels, we seek some sort of
stimulation to elevate them.
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The Arousal Theory of Motivation
For example, if our levels drop too low we
might seek stimulation by going out to a nightclub
with friends.
If these levels become too elevated and we
become overstimulated, we might be motivated to
select a relaxing activity such as going for a walk
or taking a nap.
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Key Features of Arousal theory
a. Arousal Levels Are Highly Individual
Optimal arousal levels vary from one
individual to the next.
There are many factors that might influence
each person's optimal arousal levels,
including genetics and experience.
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Cont…
b. Behavior Is Motivated by Arousal Levels
The person with low arousal needs might be
motivated to pursue simple activities such as
watching a movie in order to maintain their
arousal levels.
The individual with high arousal needs, on the
other hand, might be motivated to seek risky
activities such as motorcycle racing or
skydiving in order to maintain his or her ideal
levels.
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Cont…
If you need to raise your arousal levels,
you might:
i. Engage in physical activity
ii. Socialize with friends
iii. Try something new and exciting
iv. Watch an action-packed movies
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Cont…
If you need to lower your arousal
levels, you might:
i. Enjoy a relaxing hobby
ii. Read a book
iii. Take a bath
iv. Take a nap
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Cont…
c. Arousal Influences Performance
One of the assertions of the arousal theory of
motivation is that our levels of arousal can
influence our performance. But again, balance
is key.
Higher arousal levels can sometimes help
us perform better, but it can also impair
performance if arousal levels are too high.
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