Psychological Perspectives on the Role of Motivation in Learning
There’s Actually a Mathematical Formula for Motivation
Motivation refers to “the process of instigating and sustaining goal-directed activities,” while motivated learning refers more specifically to the motivation “to acquire new knowledge, skills and strategies rather than merely to complete activities” (Schunk, 2004, p. 484). As such, these concepts represent explanatory models which seek to understand why individuals behave in certain ways under certain conditions. While some forms of learning and cognitive change can occur in the absence of motivation, in general motivation plays a key role in most learning situations, providing the impetus for pursuing and persisting in activities that facilitate learning processes.
From a classical conditioning perspective, learning involves “the acquisition of an involuntary response as a result of encountering two stimuli at approximately the same time” (Ormrod, 2004, p. 426). From this perspective, motivation does not play a fundamental role in the progression of learning due to its basic internal focus, which is de-emphasized in classical conditioning orientation. In contrast, from the cognitive and social learning perspectives, motivation is considered paramount in influencing various aspects of the learning process, including…
