Motivation


The study of motivation is concerned with understanding processes that drive and direct [[/wiki/Behaviour|behaviour]]. Psychologists study motivational forces to help explain observed patterns and changes in individual human behaviour. Motivational concepts serve several functions, including:
  1. helping to explain pathways between biology and behaviour,
  2. accounting for behavioural variability,
  3. making inferences about private states from public acts,
  4. assigning responsibility for actions, and
  5. explaining perseverance despite adversity.[1]
Understanding motivation is also important for understanding [[/wiki/Individual_differences|individual differences]] more generally. According to motivational theorists, motivation and [[/wiki/Emotion|emotion]]together govern human behaviour. Much empirical attention has been given to determining different aspects, or
factors, of motivation.

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Motivation is a theoretical [[/wiki/Psychological|psychological]] construct about:
  1. that which moves one into action (Deckers, 2005[2])
  2. the force within individuals that energises, maintains and controls their behaviour (Westen, Burton, & Kowalski, 2006)
  3. that which arouses, directs, and causes persistence of behaviour
  4. “the driving force behind behaviour that leads us to pursue some things and avoid others” (Westen et al., 2006[3]).
  5. goal-directed behaviour (desire to achieve an objective, combined with the energy to work towards that goal)
The term "motivation" derives from the Latin verb [[//en.wiktionary.org/wiki/movere|movere]] (to move).

http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Motivation