Get complete information on Achievement Theory of Motivation

McClelland and his theory:

This theory was proposed by McClelland and his associates. According to this theory, all human motives are learned in the environment irrespective of their nature and that two factors are important for motivation environmental cure and affective arousal in the individual.

In recent period achievement and motivation has been the most important concept of explaining motivated behaviour that has received much attention from psychologist, educationist and psychologist. Later on, Atkinson and Feather developed a theory of n-Ach which was based on McClelland’s theory- According to Atkins theory, if an individual’s expectation is associated with the result of success in a task, then it gives rise to tendency to act and-execute it whereas expectation of task related to failure gives rise to tendency to avoid the task without judging or expecting the alternative result of task. Actually, the achievement motivation theory has been finest attempt of explaining motivation that is widely accepted by all.

It is generally believed that an internal feeling acts behind all that living beings do. This internal feelings makes us activate. This internal feeling not only gives rise to activity but also maintains equilibrium with the environment. This internal feeling or force has been termed by psychologists as the Motives.

Although we are able, to infer motives underlying a given action but our understanding of motives is far from complete. Let us see what the psychologists say about motives and how do they explain. Different psychologists have defined the term in a different manner.

According to Gates and Others:

‘Motives are conditions physiological and psychological within the organism that dispose it to act in certain ways.”

Gilford says it as ‘Any particular interval factor or condition that tends to initiate and sustain activity.”

Coleman says, “Motives refer to any inner condition of the individual that initiates or directs behaviour towards a specific goal.”

According to Blair, Jones and simpson, ‘Arising from our needs, motives are the energies that give direction and purpose to behaviour.”

To quote Woodworth, ‘A motive is a state of the individual which dispenses him for certain behaviour and for seeking certain goads.’

Kambal Young says ‘Motive is an internal state of an individual which induces him to activities.’

According to Shaffer, Gilmer and Schoen, “A motive may be defined as a tendency to activity initiated by a drive and concluded by an adjustment.”

Maslow has classified motives into two main groups.

1. Inmate motives such as hunger, thirst, sleep, sex, etc.

2. Acquired motives such as interest, habits, gregariousness, acquisitiveness, etc.

Again Thompson has classified motives into two groups:

1. Natural motives such as play, follow up tendency, pleasure seeking, etc.

2. Artificial motives such as praise, reward, punishment, co-operation, etc.

Garrents has classified motives into three groups:

1. Biological or physiological motives as hunger, thirst, sleep and sex.

2. Psychological motives as fear, anger, love, sorrow, etc.

3. Sociological motives as curiosity, secunty self-display, creativity, etc.