Constructs In Psychology

In psychology a construct is a known attribute or skill that is based on one or more theories. Psychological constructs represent behaviors and internal processes. Constructs are not easily measured because they are internal and cannot be seen. However, constructs can be observed through a person’s actions and/or behaviors. One such construct is motivation. The construct of motivation can be intrinsic or extrinsic. When an individual is intrinsically motivated they chose to act or behave because of internal rewards. Conversely, when an individual is extrinsically motivated they chose to act or behave based on external rewards or consequences.
Intrinsic motivation occurs when an individual acts or behaves fulfilling their inner desires, …show more content…
When I was younger I loved to ride horses. I enjoyed riding and felt a sense of internal gratification and pleasure from riding. As I grew older, my trainer placed more emphasis on competing in rated shows. She spoke of ribbons and prizes and earning points to qualify for a spot on a college riding team. I then began preparing for shows and felt extrinsically motivated to compete and place at several horse shows. Ultimately, this decreased my internal motivation to ride and my desire to ride based on the joy I previously experienced riding. In the end the external rewards were not enough to motivate me to devote the time and energy to riding and my internal motivation was severely diminished. Due to the diminished internal motivation I actually rode less and felt less enjoyment when …show more content…
The desire to study motivation solidifies the importance of the impact of motivation on human experiences. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation both impact people’s lives. Motivation impacts learning and behavior and affects an individuals’ ability to achieve goals and succeed. Motivation impacts workplace culture, employee performance, and organizational success. The construct motivation plays an important part on human experiences in many facets and stages of human life.
In conclusion, the construct of motivation occurs under several conditions. The overjustification phenomenon is important to understanding how motivation plays a part in our everyday lives. Lastly, motivation impacts human experiences and should be considered when interpreting and promoting learning, achieving goals, and success of individuals and