When you think of motivation you might think of a reward you’ve been promised if you complete your chores, a friend encouraging you to try something new, or maybe even just doing something you enjoy! Motivation is anything that makes us want to do something. Like everything else we do, motivation is controlled by the brain. Looking at how the brain works can help us understand why we love to do some things, but struggle to finish others.
Some of the simplest things we can be motivated to do are things that we need to do to survive, like eat and drink. Feelings of thirst or hunger drive us to eat or drink. After we have had something to eat or drink we feel satisfied which acts as an incentive for us to want to eat or drink again.
Need: something our body or brain needs to stay healthy or balanced.
Drive: something that pushes us to do something that will satisfy our need.
Incentive: something that satisfies our need or drive.
It is these needs, drives, and incentives that make up our motivation! For example if we are bored it is because our brain needs more stimulation. That feeling of boredom drives us to find something to do. The game or hobby we choose to play/ do to satisfy our boredom is our incentive.
Another example is when someone tells us we need to do something, like when we are given an assignment. When someone else tells us what we need to do sometimes it can be harder to find the drive to do it. That person’s expectations might be enough of a drive for you, but if it is not you might need someone else to help keep you on track. Your parent or guardian might create a drive by telling you that you have to do the assignment before you can play. Once it is finished the relief that it is done can act as an incentive, or maybe the incentive is the game you get to play now that it’s done.
Want to learn more about psychology? Keep reading on our learning page for kids!
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