The connection between motivation and learning is an essential part of achieving necessary educational outcomes for numerous individuals throughout the world. Multiple psychological investigations report that the existence of motivation is closely related to the person’s learning capabilities, potentially enhancing the quality and amount of knowledge gained through education (Bauer et al., 2016). Although it is possible to maintain a high level of knowledge and skill acquisition to manifest substantial learning outcomes, scholars claim that there is a much stronger relationship between motivation for learning and secured information. By focusing on specific motives and desires that could be satisfied through education, students can achieve substantially greater results than individuals that lack necessary inspiration (Seli & Dembo, 2019). In this regard, it is imperative to understand how human learning can be influenced by motivation and educational settings, as such knowledge can increase the quality of information retained by the students.
A significant amount of psychological and social theories address the phenomenon of motivation and its link to successful learning. According to the theory of mind, intention and goal-directed behavior are developed through imitation of other people (Burnside et al., 2017). By copying the behavior of other individuals and realizing that others can intentionally focus on specific objects, children develop the ability to become motivated by internal desires. According to comparative cognition psychology, motivation is a primary factor in human performance, which developed over the years of evolution and adaptation to the environment (MacDonald & Ritvo, 2016). By actively processing and interpreting surrounding knowledge, humans are capable of developing particular motives behind their behavior that improve their performance. Moreover, directed forgetting upholds the idea that intentional forgetting can be enhanced by the internal motivation of the individual (Bowen et al., 2020). In this regard, motivation becomes the central process in human cognition, which can affect various operations and enhance the execution of various tasks, including learning.
References
Bauer, K. N., Orvis, K. A., Ely, K., & Surface, E. A. (2016). Re-examination of motivation in learning contexts: Meta-analytically investigating the role type of motivation plays in the prediction of key training outcomes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 31(1), 33–50. Web.
Bowen, H. J., Gallant, S. N., & Moon, D. H. (2020). Influence of reward motivation on directed forgetting in younger and older adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. Web.
Burnside, K., Wright, K., & Poulin-Dubois, D. (2017). Social motivation and Implicit Theory of Mind in children with autism spectrum disorder. Official Journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 10(11), 1834–1844. Web.
MacDonald, S. E., & Ritvo, S. (2016). Comparative cognition outside the laboratory. Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews, 11, 49–62.
Seli, H., & Dembo, M. H. (2019). Motivation and learning strategies for college success: A focus on self-regulated learning (6th ed.). Routledge.