Achievement motivation refers to the tendency to struggle to succeed or attain a set of standards of goals, and it is attributed to individuals’ personalities that influence a motivational state when environmental conditions are favorable. The determinants to success may be cognitive, situational or contextual factors that are imposed either internally or externally. Henry A. Murray 1938, associates personality to a series of needs that prompts a response in a particular manner under given circumstances. He also contends that more joy of achievement is derived in the development and exercise of skills rather than in achievement of goals. Therefore, achievement motivation is a process that involves various factors and behavior that triggers the passion for attaining a specific purpose.
Achievement motivation would help in explaining and predicting all the behaviors that determine the achievement of excellence. It is related to the achievement motivation theory which attributes personal characteristics to the driving force for success and the aspirations to acquire a given standard of excellence (Weiner, 1985). This theory explores the relationship between individuals’ needs for achievement and their behaviors or characteristics, and also the competitive force exhibited by a person towards achieving a particular goal.
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Motivation is the determinant of peoples’ behaviors in pursuing a certain course of action as it based on an individual’s emotions and the goals that are related to achievement. For example, in sports people are motivated to win by the conception of a specific goal that give them the energy to persist. Various factors both intrinsic and extrinsic as well as physiological have a bearing on motivation and determines the attainment of excellence. Therefore, these factors affect individuals’ behaviors as they are responsible for the kind of responses they take towards a particular environmental situation. Besides, the motivational characteristics influence behavior by changing their perception and psychology towards obtaining a specific goal (Tett & Burnett 2003). So individual behaviors are directed towards a goal, and this may result in changing their actions to succeed. So, all behaviors, beliefs and even thoughts are determined by an inner force or zeal to achieve.
References
Tett, R. P., & Burnett, D. D. (2003). A personality trait-based interactionist model of job performance. Journal of Applied psychology , 88 (3), 500.
Weiner, B. (1985). An attributional theory of achievement motivation and emotion. Psychological review , 92 (4), 548.
