By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- differentiate between primary and secondary drives.
- explain the principles of homeostasis and how these relate to
- explain the relationship between arousal and motivation as
described by the Yerkes-Dodson law.
- describe neurological models of reward pathways involving
dopaminergic and neuropeptide neurotransmitters.
- differentiate between extrinsic and intrinsic models of
- describe McClelland’s 'need for achievement' model.
- describe integrated models of motivation, including Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs.
Why are you reading this module? Maybe you derive a sense of
accomplishment from understanding the topic. Or you really don’t
want to fail the exam. Perhaps you find learning pleasurable in
itself. Or maybe you want to understand something better that the
Why do we do the things we do? This question lies at the heart
of what it means to be human and has been debated by prophets,
priests, philosophers and most recently psychologists. Most have
attributed motivation as being an internal state. This module gives
an overview of theories on motivation.
We recommend that you make some notes as you work
through this module.
The 'TrOn Notebook' facility can be accessed throughout the
module (allowing you to make notes on each page), and these notes
will be saved in your personal area 'My TrOn', for future
reference. However, you will not be able to print these notes as
one single document.
If you would prefer to make your notes in a separate document
you may wish to download the 'learning notes' below. This
downloadable Word document will allow you to keep a personalised
record of your learning, which you can then save and/or print for
Download the learning
notes document for this module