Motivation and Emotion

Motivation is the process that explains what moves behaviour. It comes from the Latin word *movere*, meaning movement. Human behaviour is usually goal-directed: we act because of some motive such as learning, getting a degree, making friends, or pleasing parents.

Motivation is important because it helps us understand why a person behaves in a certain way and also helps us predict behaviour in different situations. It is not one single thing; it includes instincts, drives, needs, goals, and incentives. In short, motivation is one of the main determinants of behaviour and keeps goal-seeking behaviour going until the goal is achieved.

The biological bases of hunger and thirst are mainly internal bodily conditions, along with some external cues.

For hunger, the chapter says it may be triggered by:
- stomach contractions showing the stomach is empty,
- a low concentration of glucose in the blood,
- a low level of protein,
- the amount of fats stored in the body, and
- signals from the liver to the brain.

External cues such as the smell, taste, colour, and appearance of food, and seeing other people eat, can also increase hunger. The text says feeding is regulated by a complex system involving the hypothalamus, liver, and other body parts, together with environmental cues.

For thirst, the body is deprived of water for several hours, the mouth and throat become dry, and body tissues become dehydrated. Thirst is mainly controlled by:
- loss of water from cells,
- reduction of blood volume, and
- osmoreceptors in the anterior hypothalamus, which send nerve impulses when cells are dehydrated.

So, hunger and thirst arise from internal physiological needs and are regulated by the body’s mechanisms.

The needs for achievement, affiliation, and power strongly influence adolescent behaviour.

- Need for achievement means the desire to meet standards of excellence. Adolescents high in achievement motivation work hard, compete for good marks, and prefer moderately difficult and challenging tasks. For example, a student may study sincerely for examinations to get high grades and better job or study opportunities.

- Need for affiliation is the need for company, friendship, and social contact. Adolescents often want to belong to a group, spend time with friends, and maintain warm relationships. For example, a teenager may join a school club or friendship group because no one likes to remain alone all the time.

- Need for power is the desire to influence, control, persuade, lead, or charm others. In adolescence, this may appear as wanting to lead a class group, influence peers, or gain reputation. For example, a student may take the role of class monitor or head of a group to control and guide others.

Thus, these motives shape adolescent behaviour in school, friendships, and leadership roles.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is the idea that human needs are arranged in an ascending order, like a pyramid. Lower needs must be satisfied first before higher needs become important.

The order given in the chapter is:
1. Physiological needs — basic survival needs such as hunger and thirst.
2. Safety needs — freedom from danger and threat.
3. Love and belongingness needs — the need to love and be loved, and to seek others.
4. Esteem needs — the need for self-worth and respect.
5. Self-actualisation — the fullest development of one’s potential.

For example, a hungry person will first try to get food. Once that is satisfied, the person may think about safety, then friendships, then respect from others, and finally personal growth and creativity. A self-actualised person is described as self-aware, socially responsive, creative, spontaneous, open to novelty and challenge, and capable of deep relationships.

So, Maslow’s basic idea is that more basic needs dominate until they are satisfied, and then higher needs emerge.