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Motivation Theories

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Motivation Theories The psychoanalytic view of human motivation suggests that behavior is ultimately determined by unconscious sexual and aggressive drives. There are four basic principles to the psychoanalytic view. They are determinism, drive, conflict and the unconscious. There are forces over which we have no control and these forces determine all human behavior and experience. These powerful forces exist within us, and can be traced back to primitive drives or instincts. Those forces that determine all our behavior and experience, are in constant conflict with each other, and cause anxiety. There is no avoiding conflict and anxiety in life. Conflict between primitive urges and conflicts are deep within us. We are unconscious of the forces that control our behavior and the conflicts that cause our anxiety. We have virtually no control over our lives. Conscious experience and self-actualizing tendencies are most important in the humanistic view of motivation. The all encompassing motivational force in the humanistic theory of personality is the motive to actualize or fulfill the self. Self-actualizing tendencies are built on basic need of safety and security, belonging and love, and self esteem. Intrinsically motivated behavior, the central idea in humanistic psychology, suggests that providing rewards and incentives may not work to reinforce motivational behaviors and sometimes undermine people's interest in the activities for which they are rewarded. The diversity view of human motivation is based on different motives or needs and includes the achievement motive, the power motive, and the intimacy motive. The achievement motive is a readiness for experiences of being successful. The power motive is readiness for experiences of having impact and feeling strong. The Intimacy motive is the recurring preference for experiences of warm, close,

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