Dictionary.com defines the word motivation as "the act or an instance of motivating, or providing with a reason to act in a certain way." This definition applies to the theories as well as to the word itself. Motivational theories generally imply that, using the right incentives or under the correct conditions, a person/group of people can be compelled to do something or to act in a specific way; the key is to know what factors drive a person/group of people into action. Motivational theories are often studied closely by managers, teachers, and leaders due to the fact that those who are in charge of groups of people need to understand what will drive those groups, whether they're employees, students, or citizens, to work, think and act. These theories have also attracted the interest of psychologists, including the famous Abraham Maslow, who conceptualized the hierarchy of needs in his 1943 research paper, "A Theory of Human Motivation." Maslow's hierarchy implies that human beings are compelled to meet their most basic needs (such as sleep, food, and water) before they are able to tackle more complex needs (such as safety and security). In essence, according to Maslow, basic survival comes before niceties.
Motivational theories will have a definite impact on not only the beginning of our group project, but on its continuance as well. Those of us involved in the initial stages of the project will need to discover what motivates other people (which actually tends to be incredibly hard) to care about and help protect the environment, thus garnering general interest in what we're attempting to do. To spark these desires, we're going to have to decide on the right ways to connect to the interests of different sets of people, whether they're businessmen-and-women, fellow students, or faculty members, because each set of people, as well as each individual person, is going to have his/her own opinion about the environment that we may have to sway.
Sources: Wikipedia.org
ü Articles on Motivational Theories ü
- Dawes, Nickki Pearce, and Reed Larson. "How Youth Get Engaged: Grounded-Theory Research On Motivational Development In Organized Youth Programs." Developmental Psychology 47.1 (2011): 259-269. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Dec. 2011.
Article Summary: In their article, "How Youth Get Engaged: Grounded-Theory Research On Motivational Development in Organized Youth Programs", Nickki Pearce and Reed Larson explain that, in order for children to truly benefit from developmental opportunities provided by organized programs, they must be physically, mentally and emotionally engaged in the activities those programs provide. Pearce and Larson, however, believe that initial interest in such programs is not the factor that causes the children to become engaged - rather, it is personal connection to the program which does that, and personal connection can be fostered even in an environment in which children show no interest being involved, thus causing the children to become nevertheless engaged. In essence, the motivational theory behind the children's engagement in a program is personal connection.
- Brooks, David W., and Duane F. Shell. "Working Memory, Motivation, and Teacher-Initiated Learning." Journal of Science Education and Technology 15.1 (2006): 17-30. Springer. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
- Rettinger, David A., Augustus E. Jordan, and Francisco Peschiera. "Evaluating the Motivation of Other Students to Cheat: A Vignette Experiment." Research in Higher Education 45.8 (2004): 873-890. Springer. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.
ü Additional Information ü
Enterprise-PM's Internet article on motivational theories.
An Internet article found on About.com on motivational theories.
An Internet article found on About.com on Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
A Changing Mind's Internet article which lists many of the theories which can be categorized as motivational theories.
The Wikipedia article on motivation; within it, information on many different motivational theories can be found.
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