What is a basic model of motivation?

What are different types of needs?

• Physiological needs are innate, biological, and must be met in order for you to survive. Some basic examples of physiological needs are things like hunger, thirst, and pain avoidance, which are all regulated by your body’s internal systems and are feelings that you have from the day that you’re born. Motivation theories that focus on physiological needs emphasize the importance of homeostasis, or processes that your body uses to keep your internal systems balanced and stable (like temperature regulation), and your body’s natural tendencies throughout the day (like your circadian rhythm). One motivation theory based on physiological needs is drive reduction theory, which suggests that motivation comes from your desire to reduce internal tension, which is a signal from your body that something is off and you need to act to survive. For example, you feel hungry because your body releases hormones at specific times throughout the day. You eat a burger to reduce that hunger, which restores balance in your body. In the same way, when you have a headache, you take medicine to reduce the pain you feel - your body is telling you that something is wrong, and you have to act in a way that fixes the problem.
• Psychological needs are based on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, expectations, and self-image. Psychological needs are important for your mental health and happiness, and to create balance and harmony in your mind. One theory that focuses on psychological needs is cognitive dissonance theory, which suggests that when there are significant differences between what you think or believe and how you act, you feel uncomfortable or unhappy. Your discomfort makes you want to change your behavior so that you’ll feel better. For example, if you believe that dishonesty is awful and makes you a bad person, lying would probably make you feel really uncomfortable, anxious, and upset. You would keep feeling uncomfortable until you acted differently, in a way that is more consistent with your beliefs and thoughts - which would mean telling the truth. Once you tell the truth, you will feel relieved and your anxiety will be gone.
• Learned needs are needs that come from your experiences and are heavily influenced by things that happen to you throughout your life. You learn to want things like praise, money, success, and pleasure - you aren’t born with the goal of becoming a CEO or opening a business, that is something that you learn to want. One learned needs theory, incentive theory, suggests that any experience that is connected to a reward will make you more motivated to act. For example, some libraries offer a pizza party to children who read a dozen books over the summer. If a child wants the prize, she will work hard and be motivated to read the books. As an adult, a financial bonus or reward from your job is a common learned need. For example, my brother is a sales representative for a snowboard company. If he sells the most boards during the year, he earns a free snowboarding trip to Canada. Because he really loves to snowboard and wants the bonus, he learned to work harder and longer during the snowboarding season and he usually wins it! Learned needs can also be the result of social relationships and culture. For example, if my brother married a woman who felt wealth and status were really important, he might shift his goals - instead of being motivated to win a snowboarding trip, he would be motivated to work hard and earn extra money so that she could have the lifestyle she wants.

Are all needs equally important?

What is intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?

• Intrinsic motivation is motivation that is based on internal factors like what you like to do and things that make you happy. For example, my brother works for a snowboard company because he loves snowboarding and is happiest when he is on the slopes.
• Extrinsic motivation is motivation that is based on external factors like money, rewards, obligations, or approval. For example, my brother sells a specific number of snowboards each year because he needs to make money and wants to earn rewards from his job.

Consider the following:

• When you set and achieve goals, you feel happy and are more motivated to continue to set high standards for yourself. Why? The answer is in your brain - when you achieve goals your brain releases dopamine, which is a chemical that is linked to feelings of pleasure.
• Some people believe that the key to achieving a goal is writing it down! When you write down a goal, make sure that it’s specific, outline small discrete steps that will help you achieve your goal, and give yourself an amount of time to complete the goal. For example, instead of “I will lose weight” write down “I will lose 10 pounds in 6 months by running 2 miles three times per week, and taking a yoga class four times per week.”
• Friendships can have a huge impact on your motivation! When your friends are highly motivated to set career or health goals, you are more likely to do the same and be a high achiever yourself.