External Theories Of Motivation

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Motivation is understood as the activation of behaviour Herb (1955). There are two main theories of motivation in the field of Psychology. The two theories of motivation are the drive (internal) theories and incentive value (external) theories. There is a vast contradistinction between these two theories which serves to create an ideal topic of debate and unique tool of analysis to understand or find the possible causes pertaining to the case study of Amanda and her failure during her first semester at university. This essay will break down these two sets theories into description, strengths and weaknesses as well as link each analysis to Amanda's situation by attribution in order to reach a conclusion as to which theory may provide a better …show more content…

Expectancy Value theory, denotes that ones ability is based on self-perception (Wiggfield & Eccles. 2000). High and low incentive value goals explicate that people will aspire to conquer goals dependent on the value of the incentive with that of the goal value. Situational and environmental attributions have a vast effect on successful motivation. Various studies have been conducted to determine the specific external factors that lead to the decline or subsequent incline of motivation. One such study done by Bandura cited by Merrit & Buboltz (2015) identified nine individual factors in a scale determining the value of self efficacy in an individual the nine separate factors in Bandura’s report were as follows “ enlisting social resources, academic achievement, self-regulated learning, leisure-time skill and extracurricular activities, Self- regulatory efficacy to resist peer pressure, meet others expectations, social self-efficacy, self-assertive efficacy, enlisting parental and community support”. Amanda’s parents may not try to incentivize Amanda’s goals through monetary means as they may have done in the past, Amanda’s possible dependence on these incentives at home as well as at school from teachers in the form of sweets and privileges (Covington 2000) to fuel the drive she had to succeed may be tampering with the efficiency and motivation that Amanda needs this year. There is also a possibility that Amanda’s environmental alteration from school to university may have served as a contributor to her displeasing