Motivation refers to the reason why humans and other animals initiate, continue, or terminate a behavior at a given time. It is a force that acts within an agent and creates a disposition to engage in goal-directed behavior. Different mental states can compete with each other, and the strongest state determines behavior. Research on motivation has been employed in various fields, such as business and education. In the field of business, a central question concerns work motivation, for example, what measures an employer can use to ensure that his employees are motivated. Motivation is also of particular interest to educational psychologists because of its crucial role in student learning. Specific interest has been given to the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in this field.
In addition, motivation can be described as the component or process involved in engaging in a specific activity. It determines the effort put into work or learning and is essential for setting and achieving goals. People who are emotionally intelligent are often intrinsically motivated by the means used to achieve their goal, rather than by external rewards such as money, compliments, or fear of punishment. Motivation is an essential part of psychosocial skills.
Dan Pink, a career analyst, gave a TED Talk on the puzzle of motivation, examining the effectiveness of traditional rewards in motivating people. He argues that traditional rewards are not always as effective as we think and suggests a way forward.
Finally, motivation can also refer to a song by Normani, titled « Motivation, » and a YouTube video on pedagogy and motivation.