Motivation Theory: Toward Motivation Psychology Research in the 21st Century

Author: Zhang Aiqing
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-07-01
Features: The general definition of motivation is the psychological drive or internal process that initiates, propels, and sustains individual activities. Motivation is one of the important fields of psychological research and has garnered increasing attention from psychologists. In these exciting years of rapid development in psychological science brought about by the cognitive revolution, psychologists have also closely focused on in-depth research in motivation psychology. The "hot cognition" trend, which emphasizes the role of motivation and emotion and their relationship with cognition, has become a trend in the advancement of modern psychology.
Comrade Zhang Aiqing completed his doctoral dissertation titled "On the Motivation of Human Behavior" during his studies at East China Normal University. The work received full affirmation and praise from the expert and professor review and defense committees. Based on this foundation, he spent a year of unremitting effort to enrich, refine, and expand the work into this book—Motivation Theory: Toward the Twenty-First Century Research on Motivation Psychology—which has now been published. His spirit of striving for progress and dedicated research is truly commendable.
The entire book is structured along the historical development of motivation research, with the theories that made significant contributions to the study of motivation in each period as the core of the overall framework and organization. It begins with an introduction, summarizing the various motivation theories that have emerged in the field of motivation psychology. These theories include instinct theory, drive theory, need theory, incentive theory, dynamic theory, cognitive consistency theory, achievement motivation theory, self-efficacy theory, self-determination theory, pre-explanation theory, attribution theory, and self-regulation theory. Finally, there is a conclusion and outlook, which evaluates the gains and losses of motivation research and points out the prospects for future research.
Throughout the book, two prominent features can be observed.
First, comprehensiveness: systematic and thorough. The author selects many of the aforementioned motivation theories of profound significance and exploratory value, meticulously organizing and systematically introducing each theory, including its key figures and research findings. The explanations are clear, the reasoning is well-supported, and the book exhibits strong scientific and logical rigor. Such a comprehensive and systematic introduction to motivation theories allows readers to gain insight into the state of motivation psychology research in this century, as well as its developmental trends and orientations.
Second, creativity: practical and innovative. Building on the author's introduction to a large number of domestic and international research findings on motivation, particularly modern cognitive motivation theories, he creatively constructs an integrative motivation theory model from three aspects: internal, external, and self-regulatory mediating processes. This model is the self-regulation motivation theory model. The author not only elaborates on his own understanding of the motivation concept and his design of the model but also discusses specific measures for cultivating and stimulating motivation based on this framework. Practical and innovative, the book demonstrates strong academic rigor and creativity, offering certain practical significance. Such a relatively complete motivation theory model greatly aids readers in further understanding the essence of human motivation and the interrelationships among its major influencing factors, while also opening new perspectives and pathways for future research in motivation psychology.