Contents
Good day, dear readers. Today I decided to touch on a topic that, I think, worries a lot of people. After all, we so often set ourselves a task, and then all the motives and incentives suddenly disappear. Then we have thousands of excuses for not doing it. But what happens to us at this moment? How to explain the lack of desire to go to a particular goal? How is motivation different from stimulation and what is the relationship between them? Why is it so easy to get confused about the meaning of these concepts? In this article I will try to answer all these questions.
The concept of motivation
Every act is done for some reason, has a motivation. This means that the individual acts consciously, he has the intention to achieve goals and find a way out of difficult situations. He takes active steps only when he fully understands what he needs. He is motivated to do something by an inner desire. If actions are motivated, a person is driven by need.
It is worth noting that there are situations when people need to do what they do not need. Then, accordingly, neither the result of such actions, nor the actions themselves bring the expected results. In such cases, different methods of motivation are used.
There are 3 groups of methods:
- Social, which are divided into professional, material and moral.
- For training (simulation of situations for schoolchildren and students).
- Self-motivation.
For the first time the term «motivation» was used by A. Schopenhauer in one of his many works. In the modern world, this phenomenon remains among the urgent problems for such industries as:
- pedagogy;
- psychology;
- sociology;
- philosophy.
So, all the actions of the individual are conscious, since he has incentives to commit them. That is, he is interested in achieving the goal.
You can read more about motivation in the article: “What is positive motivation and how it will move mountains for you”.
The concept of incentives
Stimulation is the influence on the subject from the outside. This is a strong factor that pushes to commit acts.
It can be not only external, but also internal. This is a kind of lever that sets motivation in motion.
Incentives for people are most often individual objects, the actions of others, the opportunities provided, etc.
It is also important to know that a person can respond to a stimulus consciously or unconsciously.
What is the difference between motivation and stimulation
At first glance, the phenomena under consideration are very similar. But where is the line of difference? And why is it so important not to confuse them? Let’s analyze together with you everything that we know at the moment.
First, both are processes that affect the behavior of an individual.
Secondly, stimulation is an easier way to push a person to action. The impetus usually comes from the performer himself.
Thirdly, motivation is a system of incentives, in response to which a person acts.
Stimulation is also different in that it works «here and now». And motivation, depending on the type, we can feel for a long time. It is valid until the need is satisfied.
Motives are individual unlike incentives. But incentives can be used to influence a group of people with common interests and positions. For example, these are bonuses and incentives in the workforce.
5 criteria for the difference between stimulus and motive
Summing up, I want to note 5 main criteria by which I distinguished the meanings of the two concepts discussed above.
I decided to make a table to make it easier for you, the reader, to trace the differences.
| Criterion | Motivation | Stimulation |
| Affiliation | Certain personality | A group of people united by a common feature |
| Content | Only positive, since in most cases it is determined by the individual himself | Both positive and negative |
| Directivity | The performer is interested in taking action | Most often it is the influence from the surrounding world. |
| Goal | Satisfy a desire and/or need | Method of influence |
| Existence | Used until the target is reached | Valid until canceled |
Conclusion
Based on the above material, we can conclude that there is a huge difference between motivation and stimulation. Therefore, do not confuse these concepts with each other.
I also recommend reading the article: “TOP 10 methods of personal growth for the development of even the most mediocre person.”
Thank you for your attention to my work! I really hope that the article was informative and useful for you.
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