Social Motivation: Theory and Implications

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Abstract

Social motivation is one of the major factors that influence the level of motivation among individuals in society. It is one of the intrinsic factors that motivate people to perform certain activities and achieve their goals. The literature review indicates that people derive motivation from diverse social interactions. Social interactions among people can alleviate or aggravate mental disorders because behavioral, biological, psychological, and social factors mediate social motivation. Social motivation theory holds that behavioral, biological, and evolutionary forces influence the level of motivation among individuals. In a learning environment, social motivation is central to learning among students. Specifically, the provision of feedback and autonomy support encourages learners and promotes their confidence. Social motivation also promotes identity, motivation, social standing, and a sense of belonging.

The practical implications of social motivation are in the management of autism spectrum disorders, provision of feedback, and improvement of the learning process. Moreover, social motivation is important in creating an identity, improving social standing, and enhancing a sense of belonging. Given the significance of social motivation, future research should devise diverse models and theories to elucidate the mechanisms of social motivation, determine its roles in the motivation of employees who experience occupational stress, and establish how it influences individuals in various social contexts.

Introduction

Motivation is an integral force that drives people to perform certain actions or leave certain activities. It comprises pull and push forces that dictate certain behaviors among people. In essence, motivation determines behaviors that people exhibit and activities that they perform in society. Motivation varies according to the sources of drives that dictate the level of motivation. According to Deckers (2014), motivation can either emanate from intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Intrinsic motivation is a form of motivation where the drives emanate from within an individual. Examples of intrinsic drives are power, honor, acceptance, curiosity, wants, needs, desires, and social factors. Extrinsic motivation is a form of motivation where drives emanate from outside an individual. Awards, bonuses, presents, wages, and wealth are some of the extrinsic drives that determine motivation among individuals (Sheldon, 2010).

In this case, social motivation is an intrinsic form of motivation because it drives stem from within an individual. Given that humans are social creatures, a considerable source of their motivation is their social environment. Social motivation determines human behavior because it influences the psychological and biological predisposition of individuals to a certain social environment (Chevallier, Kohls, Troiani, Brodkin, & Schultz, 2012). Fundamentally, social motivation determines how individuals interact as they achieve their needs, wants, and desires. Therefore, the literature review examines the role of social motivation in shaping human behavior and influencing social interactions.

Social Motivation Theory

The social motivation theory holds that motivation among people originates from the interrelationships of behavioral, biological, and evolutionary forces. Given that social motivation is an intrinsic factor, it determines human behaviors, and consequently, the level of motivation among individuals. Behavioral forces of social motivation are evident as objects of social orientation, rewarding social interactions, and maintenance of relationships (Chevallier et al., 2012).

In the aspect of social orientation, social motivation theory holds that humans create social constructs and derive meanings that influence their behaviors. In this view, social stimuli and signals are imperative in the creation of social constructs and associated meanings in society. The aspect of rewarding social interactions stipulates that individuals choose certain behaviors because they have inherent rewards (Chevallier et al., 2012). Hence, rewards that are inherent to behaviors dictate the acquisition of certain behaviors in society. Once individuals have oriented themselves to a certain social environment and achieve certain rewards, they start to maintain relationships created. Propagation of behaviors and mimicry characterize the aspect of maintaining relationships.

At the biological level, the structure of the brain is central to the regulation of motivation among individuals. As part of the central nervous system, the brain receives and interprets social stimuli from diverse social environments. Chevallier et al. (2012) explain that the amygdala is an integral region of the brain that directs social stimuli and enhances the interpretation of signals. Chemical messengers such as neurotransmitters and hormones mediate social motivation. In essence, the biological level of social motivation has a marked influence on psychological factors that determine the level of motivation.

Social motivation is also dependent on the evolutionary level of an individual. As society progresses, it creates numerous social constructs, including social motivation, which accumulates over a long period. The accumulation of social constructs enables individuals to orient to prevailing social environments, gain rewards, and maintain social relationships at desired levels. According to Chevallier et al. (2012), people undertake collaborative activities such as sharing of information, helping each other, and making fun as they build and reinforce relationships. Eventually, the nature of relationships that holds people in society determines the level of social motivation among individuals.

The Role of Feedback

Social motivation is a form of motivation that is subject to social interactions in a given social environment. According to a study, individuals usually seek, give, or respond to feedback associated with their actions (Fisbach, Eyal, & Finkelstein, 2010). Fundamentally, positive and negative feedbacks influence the level of social motivation among individuals who aim to achieve certain goals. Negative feedback criticizes individuals and undermines the confidence, hence, reducing their level of social motivation. Although negative feedback undermines confidence and reduces motivation, it is important in identifying weaknesses, issues, problems, and setbacks. In contrast, positive feedback encourages and motivates people to achieve their goals, and thus, enhances social motivation.

Fisbach et al. (2010) argue that social agents use positive feedback in empowering individuals to attain their goals by encouraging and promoting their confidence. For example, instructors, educators, managers, and coaches offer feedback that directs and regulate activities of learners, and thus, enabling them to stay on course and achieve specific goals. Without feedback, learners tend to lose concentration and interest in certain activities leading to poor social motivation. Feedback works by inducing negative and positive emotions or moods, which influence how individuals achieve their goals.

Motivation as Function of Social Context

Social motivation is a major factor that determines the level of motivation among students in schools. According to a study, age and autonomy support are two factors that influence intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among students (Gillet, Vallerand, & Lafreniere, 2012). The variation of motivation level among students is due to the interaction of age and teacher support autonomy. Gillet et al. (2012) state that among 1600 students, motivation decreased at the age of 9 to 12, stabilized at the age of 13 to 15, and increased exponentially to the age of 17. Such a trend of motivation indicates that age determines the level of motivation among students.

The increasing motivation level occurs because teachers provide autonomy support, which encourages and empowers students to achieve their goals. Gillet et al. (2012) argue that teachers provide autonomy support by owning the perspective of students, enabling them to identify opportunities, and promoting their participation in decision making. In this view, social motivation plays a central role in the learning process of students.

Identity and Recognition

The social nature of humans is a major contributor to the concept of social motivation. In essence, humans are social beings who undertake various activities with the intention of achieving certain goals and benefits. According to Lunenburg (2011), the drives that motivate individuals are usually intrinsic, for they emanate from within them. Evidently, identity and recognition are the main factors that contribute to the concept of social motivation.

Social motivation governs the way people interact and execute their activities in a social environment and regards internal drives that propel them towards certain targets. It is important to assert that people always work towards a goal so that they can receive recognition and identity in society. The drives compel individuals to work hard and focus on the factors that make them excel so that they receive the much-desired recognition. Therefore, social motivation comprises drives, which enable individuals to strive towards success and receive recognition and identity within a particular society.

Fundamentally, social motivation propels people to work hard so that they can occupy certain positions in the society and achieve a sense of identity among friends, relatives, and other individuals present in a given social environment. The drive to work hard originates from identity and recognition, which often associates with the status of individuals (Pakdel, 2013). Apparently, the social environment has a way of determining various niches or positions that different individuals occupy in society. The social environment determines the positions of people using their capabilities and achievements.

By determining the positions occupied by a particular set of people, society influences their friends and bargaining power. Imperatively, the social characters make humans work hard so that they receive identity and recognition of their worth in diverse social circles. It is important to highlight that social motivation drives people to focus on factors that make them receive praise, award, bonus, or promotion.

Motivation to Achieve Defined Goals

Social motivation makes individuals set goals and work hard to attain them. Since social motivation entails social interaction and identity among friends and people, who live in a particular society, the achievement of goals gives them a sense of satisfaction. To ensure that they achieve the highest level of appreciation and standing in society, people usually work hard and set goals, which focus on giving them satisfaction and recognition. The concept is apparent because humans are social creatures who derive motivation from the social arena. Jerome (2013) explains that social identity and motivation propels individuals to aim at the highest levels of achievement to get a reward, promotion, or appreciation. Factors such as appreciation, bonuses, and rewards are outcomes of social motivation. Therefore, social motivation propels individuals to work hard and achieve their goals in society.

Motivation represents a push to engage in an activity with the intention of gaining a reward or an appreciation. As such, social motivation represents a drive to ensure that the activities undertook yield some form of appreciation, identity, and recognition by friends, relatives, and other people in a particular society. Since achievers receive a high level of recognition as opposed to those who do not perform well, people always strive to achieve so that society recognizes their efforts and appreciates them. The implication of the drive, which emanates from social motivation, is an increased urge to achieve defined goals.

Lunenburg (2011) outlines that people struggle to excel in their endeavors so that they obtain rewards and improve their identities and positions in society. Performance contracts, datelines, and time schedules are some of the components used by individuals to attain their goals. Individuals set these components because of the drive from social motivation, which compels them to excel and outsmart others in diverse social circles.

Improved Social Standing

Social motivation is one of the drivers attributed to the increased inspiration to work hard and focus on activities that boost one’s social standing. Fundamentally, people like receiving appreciation and praise from their colleagues because their social standing and self-esteem improve. In the assertion of Lunenburg (2011), social interaction, organization, and a sense of satisfaction are some of the major factors that drive individuals towards success. Apparently, social standing in the society improves at a similar rate with achievement levels of individuals. During social interactions, which take place frequently, some people share their achievements, and thus, inspire others.

Notably, individuals who have the best reputation of achievement have a higher standing in society, unlike those with average reputation. Therefore, to increase their social standing and boost their identities in society, individuals always set goals and focus on achieving them, and in the process, they utilize the concept of social motivation. Importantly, social motivation derives its existence from the social nature of humans.

The force that emanates from social motivation is evident in learning institutions, workplaces, and societies where people continually compete to attain high social standing in their respective fields. Practically, the society is a social platform, which dictates the positions that certain individuals occupy (Jerome, 2013). High achievers occupy top levels while average and low achievers occupy low levels. The implication of the placement is a social motivation, which initiates a push towards higher levels that accommodate high achievers. Sheldon (2010) asserts that continuous competition for resources, power, and high social standing are some of the factors that characterize the present world. Social motivation is a major driver that compels individuals to focus on these factors, which improve their social standing in society. Therefore, social motivation is a concept that plays an instrumental role in the social standing of individuals living in contemporary society.

A Sense of Belonging

Social motivation helps a person to set and achieve goals, and eventually receive the recognition and a sense of belonging in a community. Success, appreciation, and recognition boost the sense of belonging in the society for people always associate with successful individuals. Therefore, high achievers have several friends, unlike those who fail to succeed in certain endeavors. According to Jerome (2013), social isolation and low self-esteem are some of the common characteristics of individuals who fail to shine or succeed in their endeavors. The implication of the characteristics means that success and achievement of goals improve self-confidence and a sense of belonging. By appreciating and recognizing the efforts, society amplifies the social standing of individuals and makes them feel that they are part of society.

Summary of the Findings

The findings of the literature review show that social motivation is an integral force that defines human behavior and influences social interactions. Evidently, social motivation is important in psychology because it enhances understanding of psychological disorders such as autism. Instructors, teachers, and coaches apply social motivation in the provision of feedback and autonomy support, which enhances the attainment of goals. Other findings indicate that companies employ social motivation in motivating employees, creating an identity, improving social standing, and enhancing the sense of belonging.

Practical Implications

Social motivation has numerous practical implications that apply to the field of psychology. The first importance of social motivation is that it enhances understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) because they occur due to the diminished level of social motivation. The second importance is that social motivation applies to the provision of negative and positive feedbacks, which enables learners to achieve their goals. The third importance of social motivation is that it boosts the learning process among elementary and high school students because they require teacher autonomy support. The fourth importance is that social motivation enables organizations to achieve their goals through the mobilization of employees. The fifth importance of social motivation is to enable individuals in society to have an identity, improve social standing, and enhance a sense of belonging.

Future Research

To enhance understanding of social research, psychologists need to devise diverse models and theories to elucidate the mechanisms of social motivation. Given that social motivation has many implications, future research should examine its roles in the motivation of employees who experience occupational stress. Moreover, further research is necessary to establish how social motivation influences individuals in various social contexts.

References

Chevallier, C., Kohls, G., Troiani, V., Brodkin, E., & Schultz, R. (2012). The social motivation theory of autism. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(4), 231-239. Web.

Deckers, L. (2014). Motivation: Biological, psychological, and environmental (4^th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Web.

Fisbach, A., Eyal, T., & Finkelstein, S. (2010). How positive and negative feedback motivate goal pursuit. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4(8), 517-530. Web.

Gillet, N., Vallerand, R., & Lafreniere, M. (2012). Intrinsic and extrinsic school motivation as a function of age: the mediating role of autonomy support. Social Psychology of Education, 15(1), 77-95. Web.

Jerome, N. (2013). Application of the Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory: Impacts and implications on organizational culture, human resource, and employee’s performance. International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 2(3), 30-45. Web.

Lunenburg, F. (2011). Goal-setting theory of motivation. International Journal of Management, Business, and Administration, 15(1), 1-6. Web.

Pakdel, B. (2013). The historical context of motivation and analysis theories individual motivation. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(18), 240-247. Web.

Sheldon, K. (2010). Current directions in motivation and emotion. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Web.

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