motivation

Table of Contents

Introduction
The study of motivation
- Physiological, psychological, and philosophical approaches
- Debates in motivational study
  - The nomothetic versus ideographic approach
  - Innate versus acquired processes
  - Internal needs versus external goals
  - Mechanistic versus cognitive processes
Historical overview
- Philosophers’ contributions
- Physiologists’ contributions
- Behaviourism
Biological approaches to motivation
- Genetic contributions
- Motivation as arousal
  - The James-Lange theory
  - The Cannon-Bard theory
  - The Schachter-Singer model
  - The inverted-U function
  - Sleep processes and stress reactions
- Biological monitoring systems
  - Hunger
  - Thirst
  - Sexual motivation
Behavioristic approaches to motivation
- Drive
- Learned motives
  - Classical conditioning
  - Instrumental learning
  - Observational learning
- Incentive motivation
Cognitive motivation
- Expectancy-value theory
- Attribution theory
- Cognitive dissonance
- Self-perception theory
- Self-actualization
Applications in society
Summary

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Study links inflammation to reduced motivation and brain circuit changes in schizophrenia • May 16, 2025, 4:03 AM ET (Medical Xpress)

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Topics

incentive motivation curiosity secondary motivation primary motivation need internal motive external motive desire cognitive motivation achievement motivation human sexual activity perception human intelligence memory personality emotion creativity mind attitude anomie

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Key People

Kenneth Wartinbee Spence

American psychologist

Neal E. Miller

American psychologist