Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Motivate refers to the process of stimulating or encouraging someone to take action, achieve a goal, or engage in a specific behavior. It involves providing incentives, rewards, or other forms of encouragement to drive behavior change.
A psychological theory that emphasizes the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in promoting intrinsic motivation. It argues against using punishment as it undermines autonomy and can decrease intrinsic motivation.