The Psychology of Motivation: Understand the Basics

Motivation is a mental and emotional state. So, we need to understand the basics of the psychology of motivation and how motivation works in the brain.
That's what we will do in this video.
Get the Kindle eBook that accompanies the course, for just $2.99 (or local equivalent): geni.us/dAPQ
Watching this video is worth 2 Management Courses CPD Points*.
(See below for more details)
This video is part of course module number 3.7.1
Program 3: Managing and Leading Individuals
Course 7: Motivation
Section 1: The Basics of Motivation
Primary videos that precede this video include:
- Introduction to Motivation • Introduction to Motiva...
- The Fundamentals of Motivation - Motives, Drives, and being Blocked • The Fundamentals of Mo...
- Basics of Motivation: Incentives - do they work? • Basics of Motivation: ...
- Basics of Motivation: Building Morale in your Team • Basics of Motivation: ...
Primary videos that follow this video include:
Process Models of Motivation
Start with:
- Elton Mayo and the Hawthorne Experiment • Elton Mayo and the Haw...
- Victor Vroom and Expectancy Theory • What is Victor Vroom's...
Content Models of Motivation
Start with:
- Abraham Maslow and the Hierarchy of Needs • Abraham Maslow and the...
LESSON NOTES
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Motivation links the part of your brain that deals with emotions to those that:
- do the thinking and
- do the doing
A simple model of the brain is called the Triune Brain model. It suggests that the brain has three levels:
1. the hindbrain - responsible for the basic functions that keep us alive
2. the midbrain - that is the seat of our emotions
3. the forebrain - which is where we carry out thinking, planning, and other higher functions
This helps us understand the basic psychology of motivation
Motivation can be a positive, towards sensation or a negative (aversive) away-from sensation.
Fear
Fear is the single most powerful emotion, so aversive motivations tend to be the strongest. This is the fight or flight or fright syndrome. This is why angry, aggressive, or hectoring approaches don’t motivate. Unless you want the fight or flight response (and have trained out the fright response of freezing), they don’t work. They only have a use in limited contexts, like certain military situations and emergencies.
Positive psychological approaches are those that make someone feel good, like:
- Reinforcement of Successes
- Gently challenging limiting beliefs
There are two psychological approaches to understanding motivation:
- Content the things that motivates us - often referred to as drives)
- Process - the mechanisms for how we are motivated
Across this course/playlist, you will find videos that discuss models and theories for both of these:
- Section 3.7.2 covers process models
- Section 3.7.3 covers content models
RECOMMENDED EXERCISE
======================
1. It's a great exercise to spend some time thinking about what you know about motivation, and how it fits with the ideas about the psychology of motivation, in this video. (3 MC CPD Points)
DOWNLOADS
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Free Resources
- CPD Tools - gum.co/MC-CPD
Paid resources
- Management Courses Onboarding Kit - gum.co/MC-ObK ($3)
- Motivation Graphics Pack: managementcourses.gumroad.com... ($2)
RECOMMENDED READING
=====================
Get the Kindle eBook that accompanies the course, for just $2.99 (or local equivalent): geni.us/dAPQ
For a solid introduction to motivation:
- HBR Guide to Motivating People geni.us/sO2IKgn
The best of modern thinking on motivation, in accessible business books. These are all modern classics:
- Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us geni.us/uq3EBO
- Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action geni.us/vjErAN
- Lead, Motivate, Engage: How to INSPIRE Your Team to Win at Work geni.us/ABkZEx
- Multipliers, Revised and Updated: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smart geni.us/E39I
- Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations geni.us/uMaP
- The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work geni.us/tiEkeH
Management Courses Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Points
===========================================================
You can record your Management Courses CPD points on our free, downloadable CPD record log.
Download it here: gum.co/MC-CPD
Each video has two levels of MC CPD points. For this video:
- If you simply watched the video, record 2 MC CPD points
- If you also carried out all of the recommended exercises, score a total of 5 MC CPD points
___
Note:
Links to our book recommendations are affiliated through Amazon
#Motivation #Psychology

[@bunnyPt16]

Great video

[@ManagementCourses]

Thanks, Arne.

[@Cmdr_Sam]

Wow I binged through the whole Motivation playlist! All of this wasn't even in our syllabus but your way of explaining is so phenomenal that I did not want to leave any topic. These videos will not only help me in exams but also in my career in Management. The video and audio quality is on par if not better than most top educational institutions! There are even lesson notes in the description of the video!! I would love to support you as much as I can Sir, Please let me know what can I do to be of your service. 🙏

[@ManagementCourses]

Thank you very much Saumya. As it happens I have just recorded three more videos to add to this course, about less-common models of motivation, so watch out for those in a few weeks' time! I don't have a load of products yet, but if you want to support me, you can always buy me a coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/mikeclayton