Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior - Assignment Example

1. Fear is one of the intrinsic factors that instigate the human motivation process. According to Donald Laming, it include normal reactions to perceived danger, together with phobias which are irrational reactions to specific situations or objects, reactions out of proportion to any danger which those situations might bring, and anxiety, a general condition of unease. (p. 25) Its classification as intrinsic factor in motivation goes with the idea that the formation of motives is the innate need for competence and self-determination. Deci and Ryan, for their part, wrote that the ongoing motivation propensity is present to energize and direct behavior. That is why; fear, positively, lead people to undertake challenges, to create order from chaos, to regulate their drives, or to become involved in interesting activities. For instance, if a man feels anxious to drive in a freeway, he could be compelled to conquer his fear by practicing freeway driving. Meanwhile on a negative note, the fear that the same man felt could motivate the non-self-determined behavior of yelling obscenities at someone who drove up beside him unexpectedly. In contrast to external motivation factors such as the use of food as a reward, fear, as with other intrinsic motivation factors, there are no rewards separate from the internal, spontaneous states that accompany or immediately follow the behavior. Here the “reward” is intangible because it takes the form of a certain set of feelings. Finally, the role of fear in motivation is best illustrated in the way behavior reinforces the responses that terminates fear. This analogy, which was set forth by Roderick Wong, is said to explain the incidence of compulsions in human behavior. According to Wong, “such behavior is assumed to be motivated by fear, and maintained by fear reduction.” (p. 192) 2. The theory that learning has something to do with human motivation falls in the realm of behaviorist approach, which argues that motivation is a result of factors generated by the environment more than arising within an individual. Here, a person’s current actions are determined by the successes or failures of past actions. To cite an example: My motivation to attend musicals is determined by the fact that my first and succeeding outings to the theater were pleasurable and it did reduce my stress, therefore the increasing frequency of my attendance to musicals was reinforced. Socialization hence is very important in learning as these provides a good amount of experiences – both good and bad – in order to direct and guide future motivation and behaviors. Laming explained that human learning is progressive; that what a child learns today depends on his or her previous state of development. If someone, for example, spent his life in isolation, the background of previous experiences is wanting. (p. 153) He will suffer social maladjustment, which is thought to be a learning problem. And so, happiness is highly dependent on learning from mistakes committed in the past. Learning to avoid past pitfalls assures a healthier and more satisfying life. This generates confidence and lays the foundation of a strong self-esteem as years pass. Also, social interaction is needed for social acclimatization, to prevent boredom and social disorientation. It is my firm belief that emotion is central in this particular area. For instance, an individual cannot stand learning that is based on endless repetition. When boredom sets in or that he is not happy with how the learning process progresses, his learning is hampered, and so committing previous mistakes are certain and that his motivations will be unpleasant, which, as a consequence drives him what was previously referred to as maladjustment. 3. Risk in Human Motivation Theories Pros Con Cognitive theories Brought clarity to motivation research Admits that cognitive elaboration of needs does not necessarily imply awareness (Lens, Ydewalle and Atkinson, p. 99) Behaviorist theories Empirically supported with scientific experiments Omit significant aspects of human existence such as feelings, attitudes and values. (Quinn, p. 15) Learning theories Gives emphasis on learning and social interaction in order to adjust and acquire healthy motivations. Generalize its explanation of learning, that which apply to all people. (Quinn, p. 15) Freudian Theory Psychological theory of adaptive and maladaptive mental processes. (Prendergast 1997, p. 59) Less about personality and is more difficult to define because its boundaries are more permeable. (Pendergast) Self Determination theory Focuses on the importance of intrinsic motivation and good in explaining information processing terms Theory is still evolving as plans are yet to be relevantly demonstrated (Deci & Ryan, p. 10) No single theory could lay claim to an all-encompassing approach to explaining to explaining human motivation, yet to some extent each has been propounded by its champions as the ultimate explanation. It is not too much to claim that the field of motivation in human psychology had its sufficient share of dogmatists. And so while social research in the last several decades has achieved remarkable strides in the study and understanding of human behavior, there is still much to be learned. 4. a. One real-life problem associated with something that I have experienced is concerned with obesity. I know, for a fact, that most people have innate preference for sweet-tasting food, and that includes people around me. While, I somehow managed to control this urge or at least not to indulge in it excessively, there are people I know who suffer the same predicament, then vow to diet but in the end could not resist to eat the same food all over again. b. Identifying the patterns to the abovementioned scenario is easy. An obese person’s motivation is physiological and it is reinforced by the sensory pleasure that the food offers. This motivation will be distracted by external factors such as other people’s opinion and health concerns, which could influence and change his or her motivation for a time. However, the other motivation overpowers the other and the pattern is marked by this inner conflict. c. I suggest three options for this scenario. First is that let the person suffer the consequence of his eating disorder. Next, would have to be interaction. The third meanwhile is all about rewards. d. The first option simply states that if the consequence of the obesity is severe, it could sow fear and hence, provide him a stronger motivation to override the others that made him or her eat more. The second option means that the person would have to learn from the experiences of the others in order to change motivations. And finally, a program or a system that could perhaps be devised in order to dangle a reward that is more valuable than the sensation that food could provide may reinforce another motivation to change behavior. References Deci, E. and Ryan, R. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. Springer Laming, D. (2004). Understanding Human Motivation: What Makes People Tick? Blackwell Publishing Lens, W., Ydewalle, J. and Atkinson, W. (1981). Cognition in Human Motivation and Learning. Lawrence Erlabaum Associates. Prendergast, C. (1997). Napoleon and History Painting: Antoine-Jean Gross La Bataille DEylau. Oxford University Press. Quinn, F. (2000). The Principles and Practice of Nurse Education. Nelson Thornes. Wong, R. (2000). Motivation: A Biobehavioural Approach. Cambridge University Press. Read More