Motivation: definition, sources, relationship to behavior, and examination

Motivation is regarded as a measure of internal drive to achieve a goal. It is an essential human instinct, because without motivation people would lack the ability to progress. The amount of internal drive an individual has is influenced by a variety of factors such as personal gain, individual need, attitude and consequence of actions, to name a few. While capturing and classifying all of the different types of motivation can be a daunting task, a few academic scholars have drawn connections between an individual's environment and personal attributes as influences on the types of motivation the individual has.

As explained in an article about motivation and study habits, N.J. Entwistle, Jennifer Thompson and J.D. Wilson explain that the major classifications of motivation are intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is centered on the task at hand and is most often a measure of personal ability, the conquering of a fear, or realization of a goal. Extrinsic motivation is the drive that is sparked by the reward that comes from success; Generally, the rewards yielded from extrinsically motivated success are concrete and tangible (Entwistle, Thompson, & Wilson, 1974). The studies of Entwistle, Thompson and Wilson unearthed that these base factors of motivation were easily swayed by varying environmental factors as well as the differing psychological welfare in the subjects observed. Students whose environments were cluttered or disorganized experienced symptoms of anxiety that deterred their motivation. Students suffering from forms of depression or stress induced anxiety were also shown to have experienced difficulty finding and maintaining motivation. All of these aforementioned details existed despite intrinsic or extrinsic motivational benefits (Entwistle, Thompson, & Wilson, 1974).

Joseph Eby Ruin explored ways motivation can be inspired in others as well as the affect an individual's attitude can have on their motivation in his article, "Employee Motivation Strategies." Ruin's studies examined motivation among employees and their superiors as a means for determining if motivation is an attribute that can be taught or passed down and how the behavior of peers and colleagues affects individual motivation. Ruin infers that, "in order to motivate is also to supervise well," and that a superior form of supervision is to "apply a simple concept of direct communication, observation of employees and providing feedback in terms of positive reinforcement" (Eby, 1999). Whereas Entwistle, Thompson and Wilson point to motivation as resting entirely with the individual, Ruin implies that the influence of an individual's superior plays a role in encouraging the individual's motivation. Employees who experienced high levels comfort and encouragement at work were more apt to attempt new challenges and more invested in the improvement of their employer. Employees who received less encouragement at work were not devoid of motivation, but their willingness to perform above minimal expectations was limited (Eby, 1999).