motivation, forces acting either on or within a person to initiate behavior. The word is derived from the Latin term motivus (“a moving cause”), which suggests the activating properties of the processes involved in psychological motivation.

Psychologists study motivational forces to help explain observed changes in behavior that occur in an individual. Thus, for example, the observation that a person is increasingly likely to open the refrigerator door to look for food as the number of hours since the last meal increases can be understood by invoking the concept of motivation. As the above example suggests, motivation is not typically measured directly but inferred from behavioral changes in reaction to internal or external stimuli. It is also essential to understand that motivation is primarily a performance variable. That is, the effects of changes in motivation are often temporary. An individual who is highly motivated to perform a particular task because of a motivational change may later show little interest in that task due to further change in motivation.

Motives are often categorized into primary or basic motives, unlearned and common to both animals and humans and secondary or learned motives, which can differ from animal to animal and person to person. Primary motives are thought to include hunger, thirst, sex, avoidance of pain, and perhaps aggression and fear. Secondary motives typically studied in humans include achievement, power motivation, and numerous other specialized motives.

We hope this motivates you today.