Motivation can be defined as the process that initiates, guides and maintains behaviors aimed at achieving an objective or satisfying a need
It is the force that makes us act and allows us to move forward even in difficult situations. Going to get a glass of water when you’re thirsty, studying all night to pass the driving test you want so much, or training hard to be the best in a championship, are all possible thanks to it.
However, just as the challenges and projects we propose are very varied, the types of motivation from which our strength to achieve our objectives are born are also varied. That’s exactly what I’m going to talk about in this article: the types of motivation.
Many psychologists have been interested in the study of motivation, since It is a basic principle in the behavior of human beings: Nobody moves without motivation, without a reason for it. Being motivated means carrying out daily tasks without burdening us and keeps us alive. But not only that, motivation is related to other psychological variables, such as stress level, self-esteem, concentration, etc., and, as many studies have indicated, it has an effect on the health and well-being of all of us.
For this reason, there are many theories that talk about human motivation, including the aforementioned Maslow’s Pyramid, the three McClelland factors wave Herzberg’s dual factor theory When studying motivation, different approaches have been developed that are applicable to different areas: work, sport, learning, etc. This has caused several authors to classify motivation with different names.
He degree of motivation of each individual is not directly proportional to the value of that which causes it, but rather It is the importance given to it by the person who receives it that determines the strength or the level of motivation.
Below we will explain the different types of motivation, as well as the different sources of motivation that drive us to perform certain actions.
Extrinsic motivation vs intrinsic motivation
This way of classifying types of motivation is one of the most used, and is based on the location of what motivates: are they incentives belonging to the context, or self-administered incentives?
1. Extrinsic motivation
The extrinsic motivation It refers to the fact that motivational stimuli come from outside the individual and from outside the activity. Therefore, Motivating factors are external rewards such as money or recognition from others Extrinsic motivation is not based on the satisfaction of carrying out the chain of actions that make up what we are doing, but on a reward that is only related to it indirectly, as if it were a by-product.
For example: an individual may work hard to earn more money or may study very hard for the social recognition that a good job provides once he or she has finished his or her studies. A person with extrinsic motivation for a task that he must deliver will work hard at it despite having little interest, since the anticipation of the external reinforcer will motivate him to finish it on time.
2. Intrinsic motivation
The intrinsic motivation It refers to the motivation that comes from within the individual rather than from any external reward. It is associated with the desires for self-realization and personal growth, and is related to the pleasure that the person feels when performing an activity, which allows a person to be in the “State of Flow” when performing it.
For example: an individual who attends his soccer team’s training sessions simply for the pleasure of playing his favorite sport.
Intrinsic motivation is the type of motivation most linked to a good productivity since where it occurs the individual does not limit himself to meeting the minimum necessary to obtain the reward, but rather becomes personally involved in what he does and decides to put a large part of his effort into it.
Positive motivation vs negative motivation
This distinction is based on the emotional charge associated with motivation.
3. Positive motivation
The positive motivation It refers to the process by which an individual initiates or maintains a behavior thanks to obtaining a positive reward, whether external or internal (for the pleasure of the activity).
4. Negative motivation
The negative motivation refers to the process by which a person initiates or remains adherent to a behavior to avoid an unpleasant consequence, both external (punishment, humiliation, etc.) or internal (avoiding the feeling of frustration or failure).
Other ways to classify varieties of motivation
Literature specialized in sports psychology has also provided information on other types of motivation related to the world of physical activity and sports.
Basic motivation vs everyday motivation
This classification of types of motivation is established based mainly on the frequency and intensity of what leads to action.
5. Basic motivation
The basic motivation It refers to the stable basis of motivation that determines an athlete’s level of commitment to their activity. It refers to an athlete’s interest in sports results, their personal performance and/or the positive consequences of both.
The everyday motivation It refers to an athlete’s interest in daily activity and the immediate gratification that it produces.
Ego-focused motivational orientation vs. task-focused motivational orientation
In relation to how motivation interacts more or less with self-esteem and self-concept, we can distinguish between these two concepts. Both orientations are orthogonal and not opposite. Therefore, there may be athletes with both high orientations, both low orientations, with a high ego-centered orientation but low on the task, and with a high task orientation but a low ego-centered orientation.
7. Ego-centered motivational orientation
This type of motivation refers to the fact that Athletes’ motivation depends on challenges and results compared to others athletes.
8. Task-focused motivational orientation
Motivation depends on personal challenges and results, and subjective impressions of mastery and progress. That is, what motivates is to improve oneself, improve personal brands
Let’s move on to practice: how to motivate yourself?
We invite you to discover a series of Strategies and keys to keep your motivation at high levels
