DEMOS & CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES--MOTIVATION & EMOTION
I. Topic: Theories of Motivation
II. Purpose: To help students define and understand better the differences among the major theories of motivation.
III. Description: Handout
IV. Procedure:
1. Pass out the handout below to your students and ask them to describe the major emphasis of each of the 7 major theories of motivation in the space provided. Next, ask them to apply each of these theories to understanding and solving a the problem listed in the handout. Ask students to bring their completed worksheets back to class. Discuss with students how the theories differ from one another and their usefulness in understanding or solving particular problems.
Directions: Fill in the Blanks and write a short essay regarding these as instructed below.
| THEORY: | BEHAVIOR IS MOTIVATED PRIMARILY BY: |
|---|---|
| Instinct | |
| Drive | |
| Need | |
| Incentive | |
| Expectancy | |
| Optimal Arousal | |
| Opponent-Process |
Sara has been smoking since she was 13 years old. She is now 16. Most of her friends smoke. She enjoys smoking, particularly when she is around her friends and after she has finished a test or class project. She has thought about quitting, but the more her parents put pressure on her to quit, the more she wants to keep smoking. Explain both the origination of Sara's smoking and her hesitancy to quit in terms of each of the theories you have described above.
| THEORY: | BEHAVIOR IS MOTIVATED PRIMARILY BY: |
|---|---|
| Instinct | Innate factors; genetics |
| Drive | Drive reduction; physiological processes maintain homeostasis |
| Need | Basic physiological or learned needs must be satisfied |
| Incentive | Seeking of rewards;avoidance of punishers |
| Expectancy | Our thoughts about what we think will happen will influence our behavior |
| Optimal Arousal | We learn to engage in behaviors that maintain an optimal level of arousal |
| Opponent-Process | We learn to engage in behaviors that maintain a stable level of emotionality |
No answer key is given for the problem to be solved since such a wide variety of correct answers may be provided by students.