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: They are known as content theories and aim to describe what goals usually or always motivate people. Abraham Maslow 's hierarchy of needs and the ERG theory, for example, posit that humans have certain needs, which are responsible for motivation. Some of these needs, like for food and water, are more basic than other needs, like for respect from others. On this view, the higher needs can only provide motivation once the lower needs have been fulfilled. Behaviorist theories try to explain behavior solely in terms of the relation between the situation and external, observable behavior without explicit reference to conscious mental states. Motivation may be either intrinsic, if the activity is desired because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable, or extrinsic, if the agent's goal is an external reward distinct from the activity itself. It has been argued that intrinsic motivation has more beneficial outcomes than extrinsic motivation. Motivational states can also be categorized according to whether the agent is fully aware of why he acts the way he does or not, referred to as conscious and unconscious motivation. Motivation is closely related to practical rationality. A central idea in this field is that we should be motivated to perform an action if we believe that we should perform it.