ABSTRACT
This article discusses intentional or inducing components of activity that belong to motivation. Such basic components as meaning, difficulty, significance, goal, etc., and their role in studying motivation is covered. The relationship between motive and goal determines the directedness of activity and specificity of human actions during task performance.
Comparative analysis of the concepts of goal and motives in cognitive psychology and in activity theory is given. In contrast to cognitive psychology, in activity theory a goal is considered a cognitive component and motives as energetic components of activity.
Motivational aspects of self-regulation, their specific features, and their contradictions are discussed. Stages of work motivation and their role in the self-regulation of activity, and regulatory aspects of motivation are considered.
The model that presents the relationship between significance and difficulty, and their role in motivation is described.
This article expresses the systemic-structural activity theory view on motivation.
