Motivation Theories and Emotions Motivation Theory

Fear

Extrinsic Motivation

The theory of intrinsic and extrinsic motives helps explain the presence of fear in motivation. An activity is intrinsically motivating if a person does it voluntarily, without receiving payment or other type of reward.

An activity is extrinsically motivated if it is performed primarily for external reinforcement such as food or money.

Extrinsic motivation is based on the emotions of desire and fear. First, there is a desire for the object of external reinforcement in return for a certain performance. Later, there is a fear of the loss of that object of external reinforcement if the performance is not adequate. This fear can either motivate the person to expend more effort or it can cause the person to be indecisive and catatonic.

Frustration

Flow

Flow is a psychological state coined by positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow is a state of elevated consciousness and performance, created by single-minded immersion in a particular activity.

It is also described as peak performance and focus, with the performer forgetting about the self and becoming one with the activity.

However, flow can only exist when certain conditions are met. First, one must be involved in an activity with a clear set of goals. This adds direction and structure to the task. Second, one must have a good balance between the perceived challenges of the task at hand and one's own perceived skills. One must have confidence that one is capable to do the task at hand. The task at hand must have clear and immediate feedback. This helps the person negotiate any changing demands and allows him or her to adjust his or her performance to maintain the flow state.

A person who is attempting a task which is too difficult for the person's skill level is likely to be discouraged, which leads to frustration and even anger. This usually occurs when someone is too ambitious or overconfident in taking on a task and does not leave oneself adequate time to improve. Sometimes, it is the result of not breaking up the task into smaller tasks which are easier...

It is a state of elevated consciousness and performance, created by single-minded immersion in a particular activity. Thus, by not thinking about oneself, one's emotions are controlled and harnessed into positive vital energy for the task at hand, often equated with joy.
Joy, in this sense, is different from mere happiness. It is a deeper sense of elevated being and serenity, usually achieved while doing some sort of activity. Joy can be a huge source of motivation because of positive reinforcement. As Joy is perhaps the best feeling on earth, many people would pursue the feeling of Joy at all costs. These activities typically turn into a person's hobbies or pastimes.

Apathy

Almost everyone encounters some periods of apathy, even the most successful, productive people among us. Some people would think that apathy is the polar opposite of motivation itself. However, it is actually just the polar opposite of desire, or literally, "the absence of feeling." Apathy has a more complex relationship to motivation. It has different causes depending on whether the person is intrinsically or extrinsically motivated.

Extrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic motivation operates much differently from intrinsic motivation and offers a completely different path to apathy. A person who relies on extrinsic motives instead of intrinsic motives will fall into apathy and boredom when there is insufficient external reinforcement, or incentives. For example, an employee who is paid a salary with no commission, equity, or bonus will lack the motivation to perform the job at a higher level than what is required to keep the job. The employee will be motivated by the fear of losing the job but not motivated by the desire for greater rewards, resulting in apathy once the employee reaches the level of performance required to keep the job.

Flow

Flow is a psychological state of elevated consciousness and performance, created by single-minded immersion in a particular activity. However,…