INCENTIVE MOTIVATION THEORY

Incentive Motivation Theory



Incentive Motivation Theory

Introduction

Incentive motivation theory is a model of motivation which assumes that basic, physiological needs are produced by states of deprivation, that such needs produce drives that are the true instigators of action and that the action is directed toward the incentive components of the goal state. It's true that sometimes there is no physical need present, yet people still eat, drink, or react as if they did have a need. Even though that piece of pie was not necessary to reduce a hunger drive, it was very rewarding, wasn't it? And on past occasions, that pie was also delicious and rewarding, so there is anticipation of that reward now. The pie, in all its glorious promise of flavor and sweetness, becomes an incentive to eat. Incentives are things that attract or lure people into action. In fact, the dictionary (Merriam-Webster, 2003) lists incentive as meaning the same thing as motive. This paper discusses Incentive Motivation Theory.

Discussion

Motivation and emotion are two key concepts in psychology; related but distinguishable. Setting aside observable or experimenter-controlled stimuli, and observed responses, both terms are used to refer to internal states or conditions with important psychological functions. Both have activational or arousal aspects (from quiescence to excitement); both have positive or negative aspects; pleasure-fear); both have differentiated and distinguishable types of components (e.g. hunger or thirst; happiness or anger); both are goal-directed and adaptive (e.g. approach food when hungry; preparations for flight when attacked); both fluctuate in intensity over time, depending upon environmental factors, past history, internal stimuli (e.g. hormones), deprivation and need, circadian periodicity, and so on. Disorders of emotion and mood can be closely associated with loss of motivation or a heightened sensitivity to fear-inducing stimuli. How are they to be distinguished? One could argue that emotions are subjectively experienced and expressed. However, there are many data which argue for non-conscious processing of emotions, with common features shared between human beings and other animals. Motivation implies an activational component together with a purpose or goal-directedness, which is not necessarily accompanied by specific emotional arousal. Emotion implies a widespread but integrated set of responses, including physiological, behavioural and endocrine responses, which reflect experience to a greater degree than intention. Together, these psychological concepts can be brought together in a unified biological approach, called affective neuroscience. (Mook, 2006)

Within the field of motivation, the drive concept proved influential, referring to a generalised activational component and to more specific, goal-directed behavioural responses. Also historically influential has been the concept of homeostasis, introduced by the twentieth-century physiologist, Walter Cannon. This captures the many mechanisms available, both behavioural and physiological, to maintain key bodily variables within certain limits, critical for survival. The link between the two ideas is that in response to homeostatic need, a drive might be engaged to motivate behaviour in ways to alleviate the need. Conscious awareness of motivational states was not a necessary feature of such schemes, and the field became heavily reliant on non-human animal ...