Motivation Concept Table Summary

Motivation Concept Table Summary

For centuries, individuals have attempted to discover what motivates people. No two theories are the same. Each theory takes a different approach at answering the motivation question. Some theorists built their own theories from the foundation of another person's concept. No one theory has emerged with the factors involved in motivation. However, many theories do address some of the factors that may be inherent in motivation. This essay will attempt to provide who the major theorist was and what is the basis behind each theory.

Rene' Descartes (first grand theory: will), a French philosopher during the 17th and 18th centuries, believed "will" to be the ultimate motivational force. He believed that once the "will" was perfected the motivation would be sound. He described "will" as a human capacity to do something. One problem with this theory was that a person's "will" quite often did not occur or become evident.

During the 18th century, Charles Darwin developed the second type of motivation. Darwin's theory (second grand theory: instinct) is founded on the basis that actions and thoughts happen for a reason. A person's actions are a result of his or her biological programming. An example of this occurs in the animal kingdom. Animals automatically understand and know how to feed their young. They are not taught, it is their instincts that gave them the ability to survive.

In the early 19th century, Sigmund Freud, Robert Woodworth, and Clark Hull each used "drive" as the force behind the concept to their theory (third grand theory: drive). The foundation for this theory is basically straightforward. The "want" and "must-have" is what keeps individuals going.

According to "Types of Psychology Theories" (2011),"mini-theories describe a small, very specific aspect of development. A mini-theory may explain fairly narrow behaviors, such as how self-esteem is formed or early childhood socialization. These theories are often rooted in the ideas established by grand theories, but they do not seek to describe and explain the whole of human behavior and growth" (para. 3). There exists different mini-theories, but this essay will briefly discuss four of them.

Goal-setting theory was introduced by Edwin Locke around 1968. He believed with goals comes motivation. He found that specific and difficult goals led to better performance. He also noted that the hard goals carried a bigger reward that was a more motivating force.

Cognitive dissonance was developed in the mid-1950s by Leon Festinger, and it stems from the basis that people have motivational drive to reduce dissonance. Cognitive dissonance can occur in many areas of life, but it is particularly evident in situations that individual behavior's conflicts with his or