Motivation and Motivation Strategies-PSY - Essay Example

Motivation and Motivation Strategies-PSY The purpose of this paper is to address issues pertaining to motivation and motivational theories. The first section of this paper will address a number of specific questions pertaining to motivation and the second section in this paper will address what my personal motivators are. The format that this paper will utilize is to first state the question (Or objective) and then proceed to provide an answer based on relevant material. What is motivating you to attend school?

In general terms there are quite a few specific motivators that drive me to attend school. Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs it is the case that I am not attending school to attain many lower level motivators (Food, shelter etc) but I am attending school for a spectrum of middle of higher needs. I do seek respect, and friendship from my peers but I also attend school to attain a higher level of education which could lead to a well paying career. Moreover I am also seeking enlightenment and wisdom through my studies.

What motivates you generally? (Consider arousal, incentive, and self-determination theories) When utilizing a self determination theory I believe that I have a real desire to better myself through studies. There are a number of externalities in my life, however the experience that I get from studies is entirely self directed insofar as I enroll in classes that I believe are stimulating. In regards to incentive theory I believe that self directed rewards motivate me the best. In some regards I am not always motivated by money yet I enjoy physical activity because I know that it is healthy for me and will ultimately make me stronger.

From an arousal perspective I believe that this theory holds particularly true for me because many activities are not solely directed for the reduction of tension (Such as exercising) yet I often seek a balance between physical activity and achieving goals. Where do you fall in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? Like many people I believe that I draw on a number of elements from the hierarchy of needs. From one perspective I draw heavily from the esteem level insofar as I seek respect from others through performing at my highest levels.

I seek Love & Belonging insofar as I am driven by the needs of friendship and family. I also am motivated by self actualization factors such as the ability to solve problems on my own. However, given my current situation, I am not primarily motivated by physiological and safety factors insofar as I am in a relatively comfortable living situation. What strategies do you use to motivate yourself? Typically I am motivated by intrinsic factors. I personally like goal-setting to motivate myself and in general terms I generally take many tasks quite seriously.

In the case of this paper I want to learn the subject and perform well because I believe it will enrich my life to gain a better understanding of the subject matter. Report on My Findings. Using the BBC (2004) Edited Guide Entry on the theories of motivation it is my belief that money is a motivator for me. In general terms I am not overly driven by materialistic possessions though I do realize that money helps me achieve physiological and safety needs (Such as food, shelter medical coverage etc), but it would also help me actualize other objectives such as take people out on dates to achieve belonging objectives, or esteem objectives such as respect by others.

I already covered what effect Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has on my but to reiterate, the motivational effect of the hierarchy is varied insofar as there is no single level of needs that is the all encompassing motivator. Using theory X and Y, to be completely honest I have always functioned well in structured environments though by and large I do not appreciate being micro managed. As such I respond best to theory Y theory insofar as I like to be empowered to make my own decisions. Using AAP theory it is my belief that I am motivated by a wide spectrum of factors yet it is my belief that I respond positively to the need for affiliation insofar as I find empowerment through positive relationships with my peers.

Using Dual Factor Theory, it is obvious that certain hygiene factors motivate me insofar as I don’t perform well when I am in unpleasant or uncomfortable situations. However motivational factors such as achievement and learning carry a strong effect on me. Using Equity Theory I truly believe that I respond very positively to a strong degree of fairness in most environments that I operate in. It can also be stated that I respond negatively to unequal treatment. Finally, using Expectancy Theory it is my belief that I establish realistic expectations of achieving successes.

By setting achievable tasks, setting realistic expectations, and realistic benefits all are contributing factors to my success. References BBC (2004)Theories of Human Motivation. (Online) Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2860346 Accessed on May 11th 2011. Accel (2011) Employee Motivation. (Online) Available at http://www.accel-team.com/motivation/index.html Accessed on May 11th 2011.