GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the implications of motivation on individuals. Motivation is the activation of goal-oriented behavior. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but, theoretically, it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This study refers to human motivation. According to various theories, motivation may be rooted in the basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure, or it may include specific need such as eating and resting, or a desired object, hobby, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism, selfishness, morality, or avoiding mortality. Conceptually, motivation should not be confused with either volition or optimism. Motivation is related to, but distinct from, emotion. According to the literature, achievement motivation is a subjective and internal psychological drive, enabling individuals to pursue work they perceive to be valuable and prompting them to reach their goals. The literature anchored on Future time perspective theory which stems from Lewin's (1935) psychology and Achievement Motivation theory by Atkinson, 1966. The study revealed that individuals who are intrinsically motivated to learn do so for the pleasure of learning, rather than for external rewards while those who are extrinsically motivated to learn, are motivated to learn for external rewards that learning will bring. Also, students with high academic motivation are more likely to have increased levels of academic achievement and have lower dropout rates. It is generally seen that achievement motivated people evidenced a significantly higher rate of advancement in their company compared to others. It was therefore recommended that parents, teachers and employers should endeavour to promote and encourage academic motivation in students from an early age seeing the importance it plays in forming self-concepts, values and beliefs that students hold about themselves. KEYWORDS: Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, achievement Motivation, students