Key Idea: Motivation asks why we act — biological drives, cognitive goals and social rewards all push behaviour.
Topic 4.2 at a glance
- Biological drives — Reward systems and neurotransmitters (e.g. dopamine) motivate behaviour.
- Cognitive motivation — Goals, expectations and self-efficacy shape effort.
- Social/extrinsic — Rewards and social approval (extrinsic) vs internal interest (intrinsic).
Biological · Cognitive · Social
IB-style questionDiscuss[15 marks]
Using the sources, to what extent is a named behaviour driven by intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation?
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation? Internal interest vs external reward.
A biological driver of motivation? The brain's dopamine reward system.
A cognitive factor? Goals, expectations and self-efficacy.
Use data to compare motivational explanations, and evaluate the study's credibility and how far it transfers.