Different psychologists have tried to explain motivation from different angles. Essentially, a theory of motivation is a systematic interpretation of the concept that implies to all organisms and to all situations. A vivid description of the theories of motivation is given below:
(a) Theory of Self-Actualisation:
This theory has been propounded by Maslow. According to this theory, motivation is rooted in the gratification of needs. He explained motivation on the basis of various needs. According to him various needs are arranged in an hierarchical manner from physiological to self-actualisation.
The physiological needs are the most potent of all and include those like food, water, etc. These needs motivate the individual for activity. For instance, deprivation of food motivates the child to complete his home assignment. When the physiological needs are gratified, other higher need motivate the individual to act for their gratification. This process of activation continues until the highest need of self-actualisation is gratified. Maslow emphasizes, as such, that motivation has its origin in the gratification of needs.
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(b) Theory of Murray:
This theory was propounded by Murray. According to this theory, unsatisfied needs motivate the individual to act and sustain until satisfaction is realised. A need is followed by a feeling or emotion and give rise to a certain overt behaviour until it is gratified. He classified needs into two types.
(i) Viscerogenic:
These are essential for an organisms survival as food, water, sex, etc. These are also called the Murrary needs.
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(ii) Psychogenic:
These needs emerge from the primary needs. Need for acquisition, achievement, abasement, affiliation, aggression, autonomy, superiority, nurturance, succorance, cognisance, etc. are included in this group. These needs are also called the secondary needs.
(c) Halls on Motivation:
This theory is also known as drive reduction theory of reinforcement. Hull believed that drives are the universal agencies which impel organism to action and drive reduction is the universal reinforcing state of affairs. He correlated drive with reinforcement emphasizing that drive reduction have a reinforcing effect. Hull proposed drive reduction as the basis for the function of rewards in enhancing learning. He viewed the reinforcing state of affairs as those that involve a ‘diminution of the receptor discharge characteristic of a need.’ Hull, through this theory, tried to explain the motivated behaviour and paved way for empirical researches.
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(d) Incentive Theory of Motivation:
This theory is based on the motion that there are many objects in the environment which attract the organism. The incentive theory has developed partly from theoretical considerations and partly from empirical studies of reinforcement. Tollman supports the notion of incentive and considers it an key factor in motivation.
Hull also accepted the role of incentive in motivation. Incentives are not motives but are objects of stimulating situations which can be attained to have the possibility of motivating conditions. Incentives are the satisfying objects of motives. The incentive theory of motivation emphasizes that organism in some sense can anticipate reinforcement and that such an anticipation serves in some way to facilitate instrumental behaviour.