Motivation as a Psychological Construct

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Motivation as a Psychological Construct

Psychological constructs are critical in understanding human behaviors and behavioral variations in different types of people. Motivation is a psychological construct that focuses on actions that are directed towards a particular goal. The expectation of different kinds of rewards mostly drives one’s motivation in a specific task. Many human activities require a stimulus or incentive to complete. There are two major types of motivation in psychology: intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Intrinsic motivation occurs when people take part in an activity for pleasure or enjoyment purposes, while extrinsic motivation is setting goals for external reward or doing things that other people value (Locke & Schattke, 2019). Minor types of motivation include amotivation, which is the lack of drive to participate in any activity, regardless of the reward (Guay, 2020). All kinds of motivation lead to either satisfaction or adverse consequences on human beings, depending on their personality traits and life goals.

The research question in this essay is whether motivation is critical in life choices. The value of motivation in every-day human activities requires extensive research. While it is clear to any human being that the lack of motivation leads to a reduced purpose in life, which is a negative effect, it is essential to understand the extent of motivation’s usefulness in human activities. This paper uses three psychological peer-reviewed articles to analyze motivation, its types, and the need for this mental construct in the success of social events. These articles vary in topics as they discuss different aspects of human behaviors where motivation is imperative.

The first article, Perfectionism and the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in daily life by Haper et al. (2019), focuses on the role motivation plays on people who seek perfectionism. The article focuses on two types of perfectionism, Socially Prescribed Perfectionism (SPP) and Self-Oriented Perfectionism (SOP). Harper et al. (2019), states that these types of perfectionism rely on extrinsic and intrinsic goals, respectively. The primary question in the Haper et al. (2019) research is on the impact of intrinsic or extrinsic goals in daily-life perfectionism. The study used 162 undergraduate students with a mean age of 18.69 as participants. Haper et al. (2019) took measures that included a Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) and a daily diary analysis. MPS measured SPP, SOP, and Other Oriented Perfectionism (OOP), where participants could rate items rated on a seven-point scale. The study also used a Positive and Negative Affect Schedule to measure daily affect utilizing a range of emotions such as guilt, sadness, and jovialness. Since perfectionism also requires self-conscious emotions, the research also assessed people’s pride from a scale of 0 to 6 (Harper et al. 2019). Participants also had to provide a daily personal goal that they strived to achieve.

The results of the study showed that more participants had SOP. Moreover, Haper et al. (2019) found that extrinsic motivations do not have a significant impact on daily affect as compared to intrinsic goals. SPP predicted negative feelings of guilt and shame when participants did not achieve their goals. On the other hand, SOP was related to lower levels of sadness and guilt but more considerable pride. Intrinsic motivation leads to higher emotional affect on people with SPP, while extrinsic goals have little impact on daily emotions. When people with SPP succeed in their goals, they have higher levels of self-satisfaction and pride since their actions are not meant for the interjection or valuation of society.

What motivates firefighters to exercise? A mixed-methods investigation of self-determination theory constructs and exercise behavior is an article by Neil, Tucker, and Johannes (2014) that considers the risk of cardio vascular disease (CVD) among firefighters. As firefighters suffer from physical distress while extinguishing fires, exercise is an essential part of their lives as it helps in decreasing CVD risks. Neil, Tucker, and Johannes (2014) use their study to prove that the self-determinism theory (SDT) is an effective motivational framework to ensure consistent exercise among firefighters. The research questions for their study is how strength-training exercise for firefighters may be understood using self-determined motivation, perceived autonomy, and basic psychological need satisfaction. Neil, Tucker, and Johannes (2014) used 105 firefighters from different areas in western states of the U.S. After participants submitted forms to show their agreement to participate, they held constant communication with the researchers through emails. These emails provided a quantitative questionnaire and a leisure-time exercise questionnaire. Results showed that firefighters saw the responsibility to each other as a motivating factor to exercise. These firefighters did not appreciate the idea of punishment for not working out.

Moreover, the reward for consistent exercise, although effective, was not a strong motivator. The study shows that the idea of autonomy in their exercise schedules and routines increased their motivation to work out. The administrative policies at fire stations also provided firefighters with independence, thus increasing their motivation to exercise. Intrinsic motivators also pushed employees into keeping fit to avoid issues of shame or guilt.

The article Intrinsic and extrinsic motivators for smoking cessation by Curry, Wagner, and Grothaus (1990) focuses on the impact of different types of motivators on behavioral changes. The study uses a Reasons for Quitting questionnaire (RFQ) with three intrinsic and three extrinsic motivation dimensions for smokers who

requested for assistance for smoking cessation. Respondents used a 5-point scaling range to rate how different factors motivated smoking cessation.

The primary motivators in the article were in four dimensions; health concerns, self-control, social influence, and immediate reinforcement. These concerns were all intrinsic motivators of change. The study suggests that intrinsic goals offer positive results as compared to extrinsic motivators. Additionally, people who used extrinsic motivators like job pressures to quit smoking lacked inner or personal resources to encourage them into quitting. This article, as well as all the others in the paper, avers that intrinsic motivators play the most significant role in life choices as compared to other types of goal setting. Intrinsic motivation is also more satisfactory and causes positive self-efficacy.

References

Curry, S., Wagner, E., and Grothaus, L. (1990). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivators for smoking cessation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58 (30) 310-316. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.58.3.310

Guay, F., Bureau, J., Litalien, D., Ratelle, C., Bradet, R. (2020). A self-determination theory perspective on RIASEC occupational themes: Motivation types as predictors of self-efficacy and college program domain. Motivation Science, 6: 164-170. 10.1037/mot0000142

Harper, K., Eddington, K., Lunsford, J., & Hoet, A. (2019). Perfectionism and the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in daily life. Journal of Individual Differences, doi:10.1027/1614-0001/a000310

Locke, A; Schattke, K. (2019) Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: Time for expansion and clarification. Motivation Science, 5 (4): 277-290. doi:10.1037/mot0000116

Neil, L., Tucker, R., & Johannes, R. (2014). What motivates firefighters to exercise? A mixed-methods investigation of self-determination theory constructs and exercise behavior. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 3 (3): 203-218. doi:10.1037/spy0000012