Key Terms
Direction
What a person is trying to achieve Intensity: how hard a person tries Manifest need: the need actively driving behavior
Content theories all share one premise
Unmet needs drive behavior. Once a need is satisfied, it stops motivating.
Primary needs
Instinctual; physiological (food, water, sex, survival)
Secondary needs
Learned; psychological (achievement, love, affiliation, dominance, autonomy, etc.)
Manifest need
The need currently driving behavior Latent need: a need that exists but isn't being expressed in the current situation
Satisfaction progression
As existence needs are met, relatedness needs activate; then growth needs Frustration: failing to satisfy a need makes i
Extrinsic motivation
Doing something to get an external reward (pay, praise, bonus) Intrinsic motivation: doing something because it's inhere
Stimulus
Any situation or event that prompts a response Response: the behavior taken Consequence: what follows; determines whethe
Positive reinforcement
Desirable consequence follows behavior; behavior increases Negative reinforcement: unpleasant thing is REMOVED when beha
Punishment
Aversive consequence follows; behavior decreases
Nonreinforcement
No consequence; behavior fades Equity theory: motivation affected by outcome/input ratio compared to a referent other
Inputs
What you contribute - effort, time, education, skills, experience Outcomes: what you get back - pay, recognition, workin
State of equity
Your ratio equals the referent other's ratio; satisfaction Overreward inequity: your ratio is greater; mild discomfort,
Core premise
People perform better when they have goals that are difficult, specific, accepted, and committed to.
Difficult
Harder goals produce better performance than easy ones; they require more effort Specific: vague goals ("do your best")