Motivation is what inspires action. It helps people to achieve goals, overcome challenges, and advance in different areas of life. Different kinds of motivation impact our actions, and psychologists have grouped them into categories. In general, motivation is classified into four categories:
1. Intrinsic Motivation
piano for his own pleasure. A reader engages in reading because of the joy of learning and ever for discovering. A sportsman engages in the sport for the joy, thrill, and challenge, rather than for trophies or any form of recognition. Key Characteristics: Personal satisfaction: The activity must be rewarding in and of itself and require no other form of motivators. Self-driven: The motivation must always come from within in form of factors. Sense of achievement: Conclusively accomplishing the task offers internally and unmeasurable joy, that cannot be quantified in any form. Because it is stimulated by interest and passion, intrinsic motivation results in the greatest impact for creativity, engagement, and persistence – motivation that stems from within.
2. Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation is using a reward to engage in a specific activity, not because the activity is gratifying in any way. Motivation in this scenario arises from the reward to be received after the activity. Rewards for work done can either be tangible, ‘money, grades, and scholarships’, or intangible ‘blocking and approval.’Examples: We can have a student who worked so hard to acquire high grades with the intention of winning a scholarship. A staff who puts in extra work of the day with the intention of earning a promotion or a bonus Also, an athlete who is aiming for a medal is likely to spend large amounts of time and effort in rigorous training.Key Characteristics: External rewards: Motivation comes from recognition, rewards, incentives, or savings from punishment. Goal-oriented: Most attention is directed towards specific, quantifiable achievements. Temporary drive: Motivation is temporary and may cease when external rewards or pressure is no longer present. Extrinsic motivation works best when an assigned work is boring or repetitive. If, however, rewards are too low, motivation tends to fizzle out.
3. Social Motivation
Social motivation might stem from the wish to meet societal benchmarks, connect with a social group, or get societal acceptance. Social motivation is correlated with the human need for social belonging and validation. Examples: • Volunteering for a community service project to connect with a group or to garner social appreciation. • Attending a school event, which is motivated by a wish to be part of a peer group by a teenager. • Working at attending team goals so as to garner acceptance from peers or supervisors for his/her work. Key Characteristics: • Want to fit in: Motivated for social acceptance and to be part of a group. • Social validation: Seeking external praise and rewards like validation from the community. • Social belonging: Feeling part of a group and a deeper need to connect with individuals out there. Social motivation might stem from the need for acceptance or belonging, which is why social motivation is powerful. Human beings like to connect with one another, and the need for acceptance or social belonging drives individuals.
4. Achievement Motivation
Achievement motivation is the other term for having the desire to achieve, succeed, and demonstrate competency. Individuals that score high on achievement motivation prioritize mastering tasks, and growing their skillset in the name of achievement. They want to achieve, they want to improve, but mostly they want success. For example, a student who has a goal of graduating with honors. A business owner who is working towards creating a successful business. An artist perfecting their craft in hopes of producing a masterpiece. Key Characteristics: Focus on achievement: the individual strives to achieve and want to be successful. Self-improvement: motivation is many times, a personal precursor. Competitiveness: the individual wants to be the best in one or many task, or out-perform everyone else. Achievement motivation has been associated with high levels of performance and persistence. It is a significant component of success in competitive settings. It is also important in self-development.
Conclusion
Knowing the types of motivation; intrinsic, extrinsic, social, and achievement can assist in understanding ourselves better. Individuals may have one type of motivation that surpasses others in a given situation, and many individual experiences may include combinations of motivation that influence their behavior. Knowing what type of motivation qualifies our behavior can assist us in matching our goals, actions, and strategies can amplify our motivation and fulfilment across all areas of our lives; personally and professionally.
