Motivation Theories

Drives/Needs/Desires Theories are Motivation Theories that are focused mainly on meeting needs and satisfying desires. Many such discourses have been developed, and prominent examples include Behaviorisms and Psychoanalytic Theories.

Extrinsic Motivation Discourses focus on motivating influences that come from outside the learner. The core principles are, firstly, that desirable actions can be encouraged through offering rewards and/or withholding punishments, and, secondly, that undesirable actions can be discouraged through withholding rewards and/or threatening punishments.

Intrinsic Motivation Discourses focus on events and activities that are driven by interest or pleasure in engaging, rather than by external pressures or rewards. Some consensus has arisen around the assertion that there are at least two common elements to intrinsically motivating tasks, namely self-determination (i.e., the actor chooses to engage) and improvement (i.e., the actor must perceive increased competence through engaging).

Cognitive Motivation Theories are Motivation Theories that focus on the thought-mediated actions. (contrast with Behaviorisms.) Many models have been developed and researched. Prominent examples include Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Metacognition, Flow, Mindset, Positive Psychology, and Self-Efficacy.

Psychoanalytic Theories comprise several schools of thought that are concerned with the study of the actions and beliefs that are not mediated (and often not moderated) by the conscious mind. Psychoanalytic Theories are most often focused on mental-health disorders. Many of these theories’ core constructs have come to be embedded in Western culture, and some are commonly assumed in prominent educational discourses.

The Attainment Metaphor is prominent in current discussions of formal education. It frames knowledge as existing in discrete regions (e.g., fields, areas) to be traversed, and learning is typically framed as progressing across (and sometimes dwelling in) those regions. Learning is cast in movement-based sensibilities –e.g., as “getting there.”

Folk Theories exist within every realm of human engagement. They are, in effect, uncritical and often-indefensible principles of action and interpretation that are woven through everyday language and broad cultural sensibilities. In effect, most of the past 150 years of research into learning has been focused on exposing Folk Theories and exploring more conscious and scientifically robust alternatives.

Self-Efficacy has to do with one’s belief in one’s capacities to meet challenges and reach goals. High Self-Efficacy is linked to effort, strategizing, persistence, and resilience on tasks. Low Self-Efficacy manifests as over-estimating task difficulty, sometimes-unpredictable behavior with engaged in tasks, and tendencies to link both successes and failures to luck or others.

Behaviorisms reject the notion that knowledge is some sort of external, stable, and context-free form. Rejecting attempts to explain learning in terms of unobservable mental processes, Behaviorisms focus instead on observable and measurable phenomena – thus operationally defining learning in terms of changes in behavior that are attributable to environmental factors.

Flow is characterized by intense concentration on an achievable goal or task with deep, yet effortless immersion. Flow requires tasks that promise success and offer immediate feedback. To enter a flow state, one must have autonomy over the situation or activity. A Flow state is an energizing and pleasurable experience during which one might lose awareness one’s sense of self and other things – including time sometimes.