Title: Motivation - Wikipedia
Headings: Motivation
Motivation
Contents
Definition
Motivation and mental states
Strength of desire and action
Content theories
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Herzberg's two-factor theory
Alderfer's ERG theory
Self-Determination Theory
Behaviorist theories
Classical and operant conditioning
Incentive motivation
Motivating operations
Motivation and psychotherapy
William McDougall's purposive psychology
Drives
Cognitive dissonance theory
Types of motivation
Intrinsic and extrinsic
Intrinsic
Extrinsic
Unconscious and conscious
Unconscious
Conscious
Neuroscience
Motivational reasons and rationality
Practical applications
Applications in business
Job characteristics model
Employee recognition programs
Applications in education
Indigenous education and learning
Self-determination in education
Applications in game design
Applications in the military
See also
References
Further reading

Content: Contents
1 Definition
2 Motivation and mental states
2.1 Strength of desire and action
3 Content theories
3.1 Maslow's hierarchy of needs
3.2 Herzberg's two-factor theory
3.3 Alderfer's ERG theory
3.4 Self-Determination Theory
3.5 Behaviorist theories
3.5.1 Classical and operant conditioning
3.5.2 Incentive motivation
3.5.3 Motivating operations
3.5.4 Motivation and psychotherapy
3.6 Drives
3.7 Cognitive dissonance theory
4 Types of motivation
4.1 Intrinsic and extrinsic
4.1.1 Intrinsic
4.1.2 Extrinsic
4.2 Unconscious and conscious
4.2.1 Unconscious
4.2.2 Conscious
5 Neuroscience
6 Motivational reasons and rationality
7 Practical applications
7.1 Applications in business
7.1.1 Job characteristics model
7.1.2 Employee recognition programs
7.2 Applications in education
7.2.1 Indigenous education and learning
7.2.2 Self-determination in education
7.3 Applications in game design
7.4 Applications in the military
8 See also
9 References
10 Further reading
Definition
Motivation is commonly defined as what explains why people or animals initiate, continue or terminate a certain behavior at a particular time. Motivational states come in various degrees of strength. The higher the degree, the more likely it is that the state has an influence on behavior. This is often linked to forces acting from within the agent that result in goal-directed behavior. One problem with defining motivation in terms of internal forces is that it is very difficult to measure them, which is why empirically-minded theorists often prefer definitions that are more closely linked to observable behavior. One approach is to define motivation in terms of the flexibility of the animal's behavior. This flexibility involves goal-directed behavior that changes as the animal learns through new experiences. Rats, for example, can learn to traverse through complicated mazes in order to satisfy their hunger. The feeding behavior of flies, on the other hand, is not flexible in this sense. On this view, we are justified to ascribe motivational states to rats but not to flies.