ABSTRACT
Motivation can be thought of as a combination of biological, emotional, cognitive and social factors that both direct and activate behaviour. Evolutionary psychology proposes that genetic mutations are capable of altering both physical and behavioural traits. Mutations affecting behavioural traits can then help organisms to reproduce and allow these traits to be passed on to the next generation. Instinct theories are based on the evolutionary view that people are motivated to engage in certain behaviours due to evolutionary mechanisms. Another biological-based theory of motivation is drive theory. Drive theories view behaviour as motivated by the desire to reduce internal tension caused by unmet biological needs such as hunger or thirst. Attribution theory is a psychological concept about how people explain the causes of an event or behaviour. When we experience desirable and undesirable outcomes, we can attribute the cause to something specific, which in turn can lead to increased or decreased motivational behaviour.
