Week 1 - Introduction to Motivation and Emotion

Welcome, this blog has been created as a reflective journal on my thoughts and findings of a third year unit in Psychology called Motivation and Emotion.


I had no prior expectations of the subject of Motivation and Emotion however after the first week and reading chapters 1 and 2 I have a feeling I will really enjoy this subject.  Just to summarize some general things of what I have learnt so far! 

MOTIVATION = ENERGY AND DIRECTION of the process of BEHAVIOUR

Motivation can come from two primary sources, internal and external.  Internal motivation consists of needs, cognitions and emotions. And external motivation consists of directing behaviour towards positive consequences and away from aversive or threatening consequences, such as the picture above.. 

Motivation can be expressed in four ways

Behaviour

Engagement

Brain activations and Physiology 

Self Report

I think the most interesting factor of the theories of motivation is the fact that there are 24 current mini theories and that past theories have been taken on board and later scrapped.  This clearly shows the complexity of trying theorizing the concept of motivation.  A reason for Motivation being so difficult to conceptualize is because motivation is a very personal and subjective thing.  Every individual has a motive behind all activities in their life which are complex and diverse.  For example, I am currently studying Psychology, I am doing this for a number of reasons and the events that took place before I started studying all play a factor and motive as to why I have started to study.  I'm sure no other individual has experienced the exact path to which I have that has led me to study this field. Thus motivation can come from single or multiple factors.

Over the next few months I will be sharing my thoughts and findings of the subject of motivation and emotion. I intend to post interesting information as I come across it whilst writing up my topic to be posted in Wikiversity.  Im not yet sure what topic I will be doing but Im thinking something on the line of the motivation behind sexual relationships, maybe extramarital affairs.. here is just a quick page I came across that could be a good source of prereading.. http://www.truthaboutdeception.com/cheating-and-infidelity/why-people-cheat.html

I look forward to sharing my thoughts and future experiences of the course of Motivation and Emotion.