Title: 20 Most Popular Theories of Motivation in Psychology
Headings: 20 Most Popular Theories of Motivation in Psychology
20 Most Popular Theories of Motivation in Psychology
This Article Contains:
What is Motivation Psychology?
Theories of Motivation
Content Theories of Motivation
Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs
Alderfer’s ERG theory
McClelland’s achievement motivation theory
Immanuel Kant
Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory
Process Theories of Motivation
Reinforcement theory
Adams’ equity theory of motivation
Vroom’s expectancy theory
Locke’s goal-setting theory
Cognitive Theories of Motivation
Motivational Theories in Business
Theory X and Theory Y
Theory Z
The Hawthorne Effect
Motivational Theories in Sports Psychology
Optimal functioning hypothesis
Hull–Spence drive theory
Arousal-biased competition theory
Two memory systems theory
Processing efficiency theory
Textbooks on Motivation
1. Understanding Motivation and Emotion – Johnmarshall Reeve
2. Motivation: Theories and Principles – Robert C. Beck
3. Motivation – Lambert Deckers
4. Motivation and Emotion Evolutionary Physiological, Developmental, and Social Perspectives – Denys A. deCatanzaro
5. Motivation: A Biosocial and Cognitive Integration of Motivation and Emotion – Eva Dreikus Ferguson
6. Human Motivation – Robert E. Franken
7. The Psychology of Action: Linking Cognition and Motivation to Behavior – Peter M. Gollwitzer and John Bargh
8. Motivation and Self-Regulation ccross the Life Span – Jutta Heckhausen and Carol S. Dweck
9. Reclaiming Cognition: The Primacy of Action, Intention, and Emotion (Journal of Consciousness Studies) – Rafael Nunez and Walter J. Freeman
10. Motivation: Theory, Research, and Applications – Herbert L. Petri and John M. Govern
11. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation: The Search for Optimal Motivation and Performance – Carol Sansone and Judith M. Harackiewicz
12. Current Directions in Motivation and Emotion – Association for Psychological Science and Kennon Sheldon
13. The Psychobiology of Human Motivation (Psychology Focus) – Hugh Wagner
A Take-Home Message
References
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Content: Commentary on Kenrick et al. ( 2010)” by S. Kesebir et al., 2010, Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5, 315–319 (see p. 316), and from “Human Motives, Happiness, and the Puzzle of Parenthood: Commentary on Kenrick et al. ( 2010)” by S. Lyubormirsky & J. K. Boehm, 2010, Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5, 327–334. Alderfer’s ERG theory
Alderfer’s theory of motivation expands on the work of Maslow and takes the premise of need categories a bit further. He observes that when lower needs are satisfied, they occupy less of our attention, but the higher needs tend to become more important, the more we pursue them. He also observed a phenomenon that he called the frustration-regression process where when our higher needs are thwarted, we may regress to lower needs. This is especially important when it comes to motivating employees. When a sense of autonomy or the need for mastery is compromised, say because of the structure of the work environment, the employee may focus more on the sense of security or relatedness the job provides.