AP Psychology Lesson: Motivation and Behavior

Unit: Social Psychology and Personality
Lesson: 5 of 6
AP Exam Weighting: 15–25%

Warm-Up: “What Drives You?”

What motivates you to study for a test?
Why might someone avoid a challenging task?
NEW: What is one behavior you are highly motivated to do, and why?

Key Concepts

Motivation

A process that energizes, directs, and sustains behavior toward a goal.

Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation from internal rewards such as curiosity, personal satisfaction, or interest.

Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation from external rewards such as praise, grades, money, or recognition.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

1. Physiological Needs

Basic survival requirements.
Examples: food, water, sleep, air, warmth.
Description: These must be met first because they keep the body alive.

2. Safety Needs

Protection and stability.
Examples: shelter, financial security, health, safe environment.
Description: People seek safety and predictability once survival needs are met.

3. Love/Belonging Needs

Social connection and relationships.
Examples: friendships, family, acceptance, community.
Description: Humans need to feel included, supported, and connected to others.

4. Esteem Needs

Respect, confidence, and achievement.
Examples: recognition, status, accomplishment, self-respect.
Description: People want to feel valued by others and competent in their abilities.

5. Self-Actualization

Reaching one’s full potential.
Examples: creativity, personal growth, pursuing passions, becoming your best self.
Description: This is the drive to grow, improve, and fulfill personal dreams and goals.

People are motivated to satisfy basic needs before higher-level goals.

Drive-Reduction Theory

Behavior is motivated by biological drives that create tension (e.g., hunger) which we act to reduce.

Self-Determination Theory (SDT)

People are motivated by three innate needs:

Autonomy (control over behavior)
Competence (feeling capable)
Relatedness (feeling connected)

NEW Added Vocabulary (AP exam–relevant)

Yerkes-Dodson Law – performance increases with arousal up to an optimal point.
Incentive Theory – behavior is motivated by external rewards or consequences.
Achievement Motivation – desire to accomplish goals and master tasks.
Expectancy-Value Theory – effort depends on how much you value the goal and believe you can succeed.

Concept Questions

Write your answers:

Define motivation: ___________________________________________
Define intrinsic motivation: ___________________________________
Define Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: ____________________________
Explain how extrinsic motivation influences a behavior (example):

Explain how drive-reduction theory influences a behavior (different example):

How does self-determination theory explain motivated behavior?

Why might cultural factors affect motivational priorities?

How could a lack of autonomy impact motivation in a school setting?

NEW Activity 1: “Identify the Theory” Mini-Cases

Read each mini-case and identify which concept is shown:
(intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, SDT, Maslow, drive-reduction, incentive theory, achievement motivation)

Mini-Case	Concept	Why?
A student drinks water after feeling dehydrated.
A musician practices for hours because performing brings joy.
A teen works part-time to earn money for new shoes.
A shy student joins a club to feel part of a group.
A runner trains harder because they want to beat their personal best.
A student studies more after the teacher offers bonus points.

NEW Activity 2: “Maslow Ladder Sort”

Below are eight behaviors. Students must place each behavior on Maslow’s hierarchy, from level 1–5.

Behaviors:

Sleeping
Studying to earn respect from teachers
Seeking friendship
Going to therapy to understand yourself
Buying locks for safety
Becoming the best version of yourself
Eating breakfast
Joining a sports team to belong

Sort them into:
Physiological — Safety — Belonging — Esteem — Self-Actualization

NEW Activity 3: “Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness?”

For each item, label which SDT need is most involved.

Situation	Autonomy	Competence	Relatedness	Why?
A student chooses their own essay topic
A gamer levels up and feels skilled
A teen joins a study group for support
A child avoids a task they feel bad at

NEW Activity 4: Drive-Reduction vs Incentive Theory Sorting

Sort each example into “Drive-Reduction” or “Incentive Theory. and explain why.

Examples:

Eating because you smell fresh food
Drinking because you are thirsty
Volunteering because it feels meaningful
Finishing homework to avoid punishment
Buying snacks when not hungry because they look delicious
Sleeping because you feel tired

Guided Activities

Activity 5: Scenario Analysis

Scenario: A student works hard to earn a scholarship.
Analyze how extrinsic motivation and Maslow’s hierarchy influence this behavior.

Answer:

What is the extrinsic motivator?
Which Maslow needs are activated? (safety? esteem? self-actualization?)
How do the two theories work together?

Activity 6: Case Application

Scenario: An athlete trains for personal satisfaction, not fame.**
Explain using:

Intrinsic motivation
Self-determination theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness)

Answer:

Which SDT need is strongest?
Why is intrinsic motivation more powerful here?
How does this lead to long-term commitment?

NEW Activity 7: Yerkes-Dodson Curves

Examine a provided Yerkes-Dodson graph showing arousal vs performance.

Questions:

What happens when arousal is too low?
What happens when arousal is too high?
Which school tasks require low vs high arousal?
Where do YOU think your optimal point is?

Class Assignment

Study Summary 1:

Intrinsic motivation predicted higher job satisfaction among teachers than bonuses.

Question 1:
How does this study demonstrate intrinsic motivation’s effects?
What could enhance intrinsic motivation (autonomy, mastery, meaningfulness)?

Study Summary 2:

Students motivated by autonomy performed better than those motivated by rewards.

Question 2:
How does this show SDT’s role in motivation?
Suggest one limitation (e.g., cultural differences, self-report bias, limited subjects).

AP Exam Practice

FRQ Practice:
Explain how intrinsic motivation, Maslow’s hierarchy, and self-determination theory interact to influence one behavior (choose: achievement, effort, goal-setting, or persistence).

Your answer must include:

One example of intrinsic motivation
One Maslow need relevant to the behavior
One SDT component (autonomy, competence, or relatedness)
How all three interact to shape behavior

AP Exam Connection: This practices analyzing and evaluating research, a key skill for FRQs.

AP Exam Practice

Instructions: Answer the question below. We’ll review answers as a class to learn exam strategies.
Free-Response Question (FRQ):
Explain how intrinsic motivation, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and self-determination theory interact to influence a specific behavior (e.g., achievement, effort, or goal-setting). Provide one example for each factor (intrinsic motivation, Maslow’s hierarchy, self-determination theory) and analyze how they interact to shape the behavior.

Closure

Instructions: Write a brief summary (2–3 sentences) of two key ideas you learned today about how motivation influences behavior.

Extended Practice

Instructions: Complete the tasks below based on today’s lesson to reinforce AP skills.

Review your answers from this lesson.
Write a detailed paragraph (5–7 sentences) applying today’s topic to a real-life behavior (e.g., how motivation affects your schoolwork or hobbies). Include references to intrinsic motivation, Maslow’s hierarchy, and self-determination theory, and explain their interaction.

Find a short article or study on motivation and behavior (e.g., via apa.org) and write 2–3 sentences summarizing its relevance to today’s lesson. Cite the source (e.g., website or article title).

Last modified: Tuesday, 25 November 2025, 1:22 AM