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Muzna Waseem

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When it comes to Psychology and Motivation, the increasingly pending question that one mainly faces is how exactly does motivation occur in an individual? The “how” question is dealt by the Process Theories of Motivation. Over the years many theorists, scientists and psychologists have tried to explain exactly what motivates an individual in a work place. One of these psychologist is Vincent Vroom with his Expectancy Theory. Work place motivation is a very intriguing topic, for both the employees as well as the employers. Through the years, we have received Abraham Maslow’s Theory, Alderfer’s Theory, McClelland’s Theory, and more specifically, Fredrick Herzberg’s Theory when it comes to work place motivation. However, Vincent Vroom discovered that in a work-place, a person’s goals and motivation towards it wasn’t as simple as it was first concluded by other theorists, and so he bought forward his Expectancy Theory. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory and It’s Basic Idea: Vroom’s…

For many years, psychologist and theorists alike have wondered, why does man do what he does? Why does a certain action take place? What is the motivation to perform a certain act? Finally, a psychologist, Clayton P. Alderfer answers these complicated questions with his ERG Theory. Clayton P. Alderfer’s ERG Theory comes under the very intriguing topic of Motivation in Psychology. It is a rather well known theory in the topic of theories of motivation, and more specifically, it’s Content Theories. Commonly, this theory goes hand in hand with Abraham Maslow’s Theory on the Hierarchy of Human Needs, as it is a condensed form of it. However, there are certain differences to the ERG and The Hierarchy of Human Needs Theory. Maslow’s Theory vs. Alderfer’s Theory    1) Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs Theory: Before Clayton P. Alderfer, another American Psychologist, Abraham Maslow, explained the causes for behavior, or…

There are over 7.4 billion people on Earth, each of them unique in their own way; possessing diverse mindsets, capabilities, skills and ambitions. Due to these individual differences, it’s safe to say that us humans are different even when it comes to our motivational drives. To solve the issue of recognizing exactly what is the most dominant motivational drive of a person, David McClelland, an American Psychologist, presented his Theory of Needs.  This theory proved to be a successful contribution in the growing topic of Motivation in Psychology. Basically, in the Theory of Needs, McClelland categorized humans into three generalized personalities, equipped with their most dominant need and respective motivational drive. The three types of needs are: Need for Power, Need for Affiliation and Need for Achievement. Categorization Over Stages: Unlike, Abraham Maslow, McClelland chose categorization of needs, rather than stages of needs. In McClelland’s theory there are three types…

Based on the design of our economy system, work is necessary to live a fulfilling life. However, there are rarely any people who truly love their jobs, and thus, more often than not, we find ourselves feeling truly miserable when it comes to work. In 1959, an American psychologist, Fredrick Herzberg aimed to study exactly what factors bring about motivation in an employee in work-places. The theory he presented is now known as the Herzberg Motivation-Hygiene Theory.  The Motivation-Hygiene Theory quickly became a rather major point in the topic of Motivation in Psychology, specially in the context of work-place motivation. This theory falls under the most basic theories of motivation, more specifically its Content Theories. MORE: Lacking motivation and feeling miserable? Here is all the motivation you need. During his research, Herzberg asked a group of employees about their good and bad experiences related to work. He was surprised to…

Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs Theory is well famous among those who are familiar with the topic of Motivation in Psychology. It simplifies the most diverse world of human needs to just five levels, and through it, the theory enables one to accurately point out their own needs and channel their motivational energy into the right direction. Maslow’s Theory of Motivation categorizes needs into five stages, with the bottom-most need demanding the most immediate satisfaction. The stages include: Physiological Needs. Safety Needs. Social Needs. Esteem Needs. Self-actualization Needs. Categorization Of Needs In Maslow’s Pyramid: In Maslow’s Pyramid, the bottom-most need requires the most immediate attention and satisfaction, followed by the one above it and so on. However, Maslow has categorized his five needs as a whole into two parts: Deficiency Needs and Growth Needs. Difference Between Deficiency Needs and Growth Needs: As the name suggests, Deficiency Needs are those…

Humans; complicated organism structures, over 7.4 billion currently living on Earth – each and every one of them unique in their own way of thinking and behaving. The philosophers and great minds alike, dare to ask the question: “Why do humans behave and do the things they do?”, and in 1943, Abraham Maslow answers this question with his theory on the Hierarchy of Human Needs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs Theory was a breakthrough in the world of Psychology, and the still developing concept of Motivation. The theory, in essence, pointed to different stages of needs in humans, along with the respective motivation to fulfill the said need, and thus, this theory is also known as Maslow’s Theory of Motivation. The Abraham Maslow Theory consists of a five-story pyramid. Each story or level consists of a category of need, along with the bottom-most being the most immediate need of a human,…

“Error 404: Motivation not found.”, “Can I buy motivation on Amazon?”, “For my next birthday please gift me some motivation, thank you.” These are the type of messages we most commonly receive during exam week, and the type that a student’s life is over-flowing with. That being said, a pending question keeps looming over our heads – What really motivates us? Before we put on our ancient robes to ponder over the answer in front of an Aristotle statue, let us tell you that its already researched upon and is now known as the Content Theories of Motivation. In Psychology, Motivation is categorized into two parts: Content Theories and Process Theories, which are the what and how of Motivation, respectively. Through the years, there have been many theories presented, rejected and criticized. However, today, we have for you, four of the most basic of accepted content motivation theories in Psychology. They are as follows: Abraham Maslow’s…

Isn’t it truly magical, when you get that sudden spurt of motivation and you almost feel like you could defeat the world in that moment? That’s pretty much your brain coming back to it’s senses – a phenomenon which many psychologists have spent years on studying, and which now comes under the theories of motivation, and more specifically, it’s process theories. So what are Process Theories of Motivation? These theories aim to study how exactly does motivation occur in an individual. Despite the popular belief of every student, motivation doesn’t just magically appear at three in the morning and disappear by first light. Its actually much more simple and yet complicated at the same time. For years, psychologist and theorists have struggled trying to point out the what and the how of motivation, and now finally, we have our answers. We have complied together a detailed discussion on the four most basic of the Process…