AP PSYCHOLOGY – Motivation & Emotion
Mrs. O’Connor
THEORIES OF MOTIVATION
COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CHART USING ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO FILL IN THE SPACE WITH THE KEY IDEAS FOR EACH THEORY
DRIVE-REDUCTION
INSTINCT
INCENTIVE
COGNITIVE
THEORY
THEORY
THEORY
THEORY
The idea that a physiological
Instinct- A complex, unlearned
Incentive- a thing that motivates
Cognition is the means by which
need creates an aroused tension
behavior that is rigidly patterned
or encourages one to do
the mind obtains knowledge,
state (a drive) that motivates an
throughout a species.
something.
and relates to thought processes
organism to satisfy the need.
and perception.
According to the instinct theory
According to this view, people
Drive-reduction motivation
of motivation, all organisms are
are pulled toward behaviors that
Cognitive motivation is a theory
arises from homeostasis- an
born with innate biological
offer positive incentives and
that seeks to explain human
organism’s natural tendency to
tendencies that help them
pushed away from behaviors
behavior in terms of the
maintain a steady internal state.
survive.
associated with negative
examination and consideration
incentives. In other words,
of received information, as
Thus, if we are water deprived,
our thirst drives us to drink and
Example: infants have an inborn
differences in behavior from one opposed to an inbuilt set of
to restore the body’s normal
rooting reflex that helps them
person to another or from one
instructions that govern
state.
seek out a nipple and obtain
situation to another can be
responses to different situations.
nourishment, while birds have
traced to the incentives available In other words, a human action
an inborn need to build a nest or
and the value a person places on
results from a process of
migrate during the winter.
those incentives at the time.
thought, rather than an
automated response based on
preprogrammed rules.