Theories of motivation
Cognitive dissonance theory
Leon Festinger put this theory forward and it takes place when the incongruity between two cognitions gives rise to a sense of displeasure in an individual. For example, a person may reassure himself about his decision to purchase a thing, while thinking in retrospect that another decision would have been better. Cognitive Dissonance also comes into play when a belief and behaviour do not lie in harmony. For example, a person may believe that smoking is injurious for health yet continues to do it nevertheless.
Need Achievement Theory
According to predictions of David McClelland’s achievement motivation theory, we all have needs for three things: achievement, power, and affiliation; but the degree to which these needs influence our behavior vary from person to person.
Interests Theory
Interests are assessed by Holland Codes as in Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI; Holland, 1985). One way of looking at interests is that if someone shows pretty strong interest in one of the 6 Holland areas, then chances of getting outcomes in that area will be extremely strong as compared to getting outcomes in areas where interest is weak.
Need Hierarchy Theory
The most extensively discussed theory of motivation is Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of human needs theory, which can be summed up as:
The behavior of all Humans are influenced by their respective wants and desires; with only unsatisfied needs bearing an influence over behavior, and not satisfied needs.
There can be various needs; hence, they are organized according to significance, from the basic to the complex. Only after a lower level need is at least minimally satisfied does a person advance to the next level of needs. The more one proceeds up the hierarchy, the more signs does he show of individuality, humanness and psychological health.
Enlisted from basic (lowest) to the most complex (highest), the needs are:
Herzberg’s two-factor theory
According to Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory, some factors in the workplace lead to job satisfaction, while others do not in spite of resulting in dissatisfaction if they are absent altogether. Herzberg differentiates between:
Motivators like demanding work, acknowledgment and responsibility that result in positive satisfaction; and Hygiene factors like status, job security, salary and fringe benefits that are not motivating when present, but will lead to demotivation if absent completely.
The term ‘Hygiene factors’ is used to indicate that like hygiene, the presence of these factors will not improve health, but absence can lead to deterioration in health. This theory is often referred as "Motivator-Hygiene Theory."
Alderfer’s ERG theory
Clayton Alderfer, to create his ERG theory pertaining to existence, relatedness and growth, expanded Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The lower order needs like Physiological and safety feature in the existence category, while love and self-esteem needs fall in relatedness category. The growth category features the self-actualization and self esteem needs.
Self-determination theory
Formulated by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, the Self-determination theory emphasizes on the significance of intrinsic motivation in guiding human behavior. Like Maslow's hierarchical theory and other theories developed from it, SDT hypothesizes a natural propensity towards growth and development. However, unlike these theories, SDT excludes any kind of "autopilot" for achievement; instead it needs active environmental support. Autonomy, competence feedback, and relatedness are the main factors promoting motivation and development.
Goal-setting theory
Goal-setting theory revolves around the idea that at times, individuals possess an impetus to arrive at a clearly defined end state, which is often a reward in itself. Three factors influence a goal's efficiency: proximity, difficulty and specificity. The ultimate goal should showcase a scenario whereby the time difference between the initiation of behavior and the end state is minimal. This is why certain children are more motivated to practice riding a bike than improving algebra skills. Ideally, no goal should be too hard or too easy to attain, instead it should be moderate. In cases of too hard or too easy goals, most people are not sufficiently motivated, as many look for a challenge. Simultaneously, people wish to feel that they have enough chances of succeeding. Specificity pertains to the depiction of the goal in their class. The goal should be neutrally defined and understandable for the person. A fine instance of a poorly defined goal is to achieve the highest possible grade. Most children are clueless about the amount of effort they require to accomplish that goal.