Motivation as a Function of Expectancy and Incentive

Abstract

This chapter also deals with the situational determinants motivating behavior. The common denominator of the theories to be discussed here is that they in one way or another attribute the ability to anticipate events to the organism and suggest that behavior is guided by anticipatory goal states. Such goal states play a central role in explanations of behavior. The present situation is to be interpreted in terms of a future condition representing a goal state. The learning and drive theories of behaviorism define such goal states as “reinforcement.” This term refers to events which can be shown to affect the behavior which preceded it, e. g., in the case of hunger the consuming of food strengthens those antecedent behaviors which led to the food.