Summarize five major theories of motivation

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

One theory of motivation is instinct theory, which suggests that motivation merely reflects innate tendencies. At one point, psychologists had compiled a list of over
10,000 instincts. This view has fallen out of favor, especially in explaining human motivation. A second theory of motivation, drive theory, suggests that deprivation results in a need state, which triggers a state of bodily tension, or drive. Motivation is the effort made to reduce the drive. However, this cannot account for all motivation, since much behavior occurs in the absence of any need. The arousal theory of motivation explains why we are sometimes motivated to increase tension, which cannot be explained by drive theory. In this view, people are motivated to maintain an optimal level of arousal. When arousal is unacceptably low, the motivation is to increase it and when arousal is unacceptably high, the motivation is to decrease it. Incentive theory views motivation in terms of a pull. We place a stimulus value on certain goals, and these goals then direct our behavior. Thus, even though we are not really hungry, we might be motivated to eat a slice of scrumptious pie. Finally,
Maslow developed the concept of a hierarchy of five needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. We are motivated to meet the basic needs before moving on to the higher-order needs. For Maslow, psychological well-being depends on meeting all five levels of need.