Title: What Is Motivation?
Headings: What Is Motivation?
What Is Motivation?
What Is Motivation?
Types of Motivation
Is It Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation?
Uses
Impact
Tips
Potential Pitfalls
History of Motivation
Instincts
Drives and Needs
Arousal Levels
A Word From Verywell

Content: In everyday usage, the term "motivation" is frequently used to describe why a person does something. It is the driving force behind human actions. Motivation doesn't just refer to the factors that activate behaviors; it also involves the factors that direct and maintain these goal-directed actions (though such motives are rarely directly observable). As a result, we often have to infer the reasons why people do the things that they do based on observable behaviors. 1 ﻿
What exactly lies behind the motivations for why we act? Psychologists have proposed different theories of motivation, including drive theory, instinct theory, and humanistic theory (such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs ). The reality is that there are many different forces that guide and direct our motivations. Types of Motivation
Different types of motivation are frequently described as being either extrinsic or intrinsic: Extrinsic motivations are those that arise from outside of the individual and often involve rewards such as trophies, money, social recognition, or praise.