Psychologists of different theoretical orientation differ in their conceptualisation of motives. We will discuss motivation from four different perspectives.
1. From the Psychodynamic Perspective:
The physiological motives would be viewed as the primary motives, those that give rise to other motives. They are in the language of psychoanalysis, the drives of id which are present in all of us at birth.
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Of all the physiological motives, greatest emphasis has been placed on the sexual motive. The reason for this is simple. It is assumed that the needs for food, drink and sleep are most likely satisfied (or the person would break down physically). The sexual motive, on the other hand, is often obscured in cultural and religious values and, therefore, may be the cause of many difficulties in an individual’s attempts to satisfy it.
Social and effectance motives are largely sublimations of the physiological motives, according to the psychodynamic perspective. The scientist engaged in microscopic research, a Freudian might say, is sublimating his or her wish to relieve the childhood trauma of seeing his or her parents in bed. It is not an effectance motivation but rather a throwback to a conflict related to a physiological motive.
2. The behavioural psychologist:
To the behaviourist, it is not the category of motivation that is important, but rather the strength of the motive. From this perspective, motivations are inner drives that influence our behaviour in two ways. Either they prompt us to action by their own energies (we seek food when we are hungry) or they can be manipulated externally to shape behaviour (holding a carrot in front of a rabbit to train the animal). In both cases, motivation is a means to an end, it is a part of the process by which behaviours are shaped and reinforced.
3. To the humanistic psychologist:
Motivation is a central part of all human striving and the force behind human growth. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs or Gordon Allport’s concepts of propriate striving, clearly illustrate this. In Maslow’s scheme, we have to satisfy needs at each level of the hierarchy before we can get to the next level. First, the psychological and safety needs, right up through the highest needs for self- actualisation. The striving to satisfy these needs (at any level) is synonymous with motivation.
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Gordon Allport’s concept of propriate striving serves a similar purpose in his humanistic explanation of human behaviour. The “proprium”, according to Allport, links together all motivations, at all levels, to form a cohesive and distinctly human personality”.
(So from the humanistic perspective, motivation is integrally related to the primary patterns of human growth).
4. From the cognitive point of view:
Motivation is largely a product of our thinking, which in turn is a product of circumstances. For the cognitive psychologist, motivation, at least, as it affects major areas of our behaviour is constructed in our mind and therefore, can be manipulated if we change our thinking about it.