Motivation and Emotions

Abstract

The term ‘motivation’ is a general one that covers three aspects of behaviour: states that motivate behaviour, behaviour motivated by these states and the goals of such behaviour. All three aspects may be regarded as stages in a cycle. Hunger as a motivational state would impel a person to seek food, appropriate behaviour which is instigated by this need would be the seeking of means to attain the end, and the alleviation of hunger would be the final goal. The motivation cycle then terminates until the need for food emerges again.¹ Thus terms like need, want, motive, drive, etc., refer to some inner condition of the organism that initiates and directs its behaviour towards a goal. Some of the goals are of a positive nature, goals that individuals approach; others of a negative nature, which individuals try to avoid. Where the motivating states have a clear physiological base, the goals are relatively fixed — as in the need for sleep or food — whereas there will be a greater degree of flexibility and variation in the case of the desire for fame, status, position, etc.