Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Motivation and Emotion01:29

Introduction to Motivation and Emotion

639
Motivation is a multifaceted process that drives behavior toward fulfilling various physiological or psychological needs. This process involves initiating, guiding, and maintaining specific actions influenced by internal and external factors. For example, when someone feels hungry while watching television, hunger is a motivator, prompting the individual to get up, walk to the kitchen, and find something to eat. In this instance, hunger initiates and sustains the behavior necessary to meet the...
639
Motivational Cycle01:20

Motivational Cycle

786
The motivational cycle is a key concept that explains how individuals are motivated to meet their needs. At its core, the cycle revolves around four distinct stages: need, drive, goal-directed behavior, and goal achievement. These stages respond to imbalances in the body or mind, prompting actions that restore balance.
The cycle begins with a need. This need can arise from various conditions, such as hunger, thirst, or temperature changes. For instance, when an individual feels cold, their body...
786
Drive-Reduction Theory: Push Theory of Motivation01:27

Drive-Reduction Theory: Push Theory of Motivation

621
Clark Hull's drive-reduction theory, introduced in the 1940s and 1950s and often termed the "push theory" of motivation, provides a framework for understanding how biological and learned drives influence behavior. Hull suggested that motivation originates from the need to alleviate physiological tension caused by unmet biological necessities. The theory proposes that when a basic need, such as hunger or sleep, goes unfulfilled, it creates an internal imbalance. This imbalance, or...
621
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

18.5K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.  
18.5K
Traits and States01:17

Traits and States

330
Personality traits represent consistent patterns in behavior, thoughts, and emotions, reflecting an individual's tendencies across various situations. For example, extraversion, a well-known trait, manifests in individuals as talkative, energetic, and enthusiastic behaviors. These traits are stable over time, offering a reliable framework for predicting how people might act in different contexts. However, they do not define every moment of an individual's life. In contrast to traits,...
330
Self-Regulation01:25

Self-Regulation

20
Self-regulation, also known as self-control, encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral processes that allow individuals to adjust their internal states and outward actions to align with socially acceptable norms and long-term goals. It plays a fundamental role in adaptive functioning, from resisting impulsive behaviors to persisting through challenging tasks. While its benefits are widely recognized, self-regulation is not limitless. Muraven and Baumeister's theory posits that...
20

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Sex/Gender Beliefs are Strongly Related to Either Right-Wing Authoritarian Conventionalism or Left-Wing Authoritarian Anti-Conventionalism.

Archives of sexual behavior·2026
Same author

Comprehensive Needs Assessment for Workplace Health Promotion: A Case Study of the University of Bern.

International journal of public health·2025
Same author

Self-control duration and implicit willpower assumptions in the cognitive association between self-control and decreased vitality.

Acta psychologica·2025
Same author

Further Evidence for the Dark-Ego-Vehicle Principle: Higher Pathological Narcissistic Grandiosity and Virtue Signaling Are Related to Greater Involvement in LGBQ and Gender Identity Activism.

Archives of sexual behavior·2024
Same author

Comparison of human hair cortisol concentration stability for 1-year and 2-year test-retest intervals.

Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress·2024
Same author

#influenced! The impact of social media influencing on self-esteem and the role of social comparison and resilience.

Frontiers in psychology·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 8, 2025

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
12:09

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Published on: March 19, 2014

23.8K

Measuring Motivation for Cognitive Effort as State.

Max Blaise1, Tamara Marksteiner2, Ann Krispenz1

  • 1Educational Psychology Lab, Institute of Educational Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Frontiers in Psychology
|December 27, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed a new 10-item scale to measure motivation for cognition (MFC) in the moment. This reliable and valid tool assesses people's willingness to engage in cognitive effort, aiding psychological research.

Keywords:
cognitive motivationeffortmeasurementneed for cognitionpsychometrical scale

More Related Videos

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
12:55

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties

Published on: September 27, 2020

8.6K
Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
06:45

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Published on: April 18, 2017

6.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 8, 2025

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
12:09

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Published on: March 19, 2014

23.8K
Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
12:55

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties

Published on: September 27, 2020

8.6K
Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
06:45

Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal

Published on: April 18, 2017

6.3K

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Social Psychology

Background:

  • Motivation for cognitive effort is crucial across various psychological domains.
  • A validated, psychometric state measure for cognitive motivation was previously unavailable.
  • Existing trait measures, like need for cognition (NFC), do not capture momentary fluctuations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a psychometrically sound state measure of motivation for cognitive effort.
  • Introduce the 10-item Motivation for Cognition (MFC) state scale.
  • Assess the scale's reliability and validity in capturing momentary cognitive motivation.

Main Methods:

  • Development of the 10-item MFC state scale, based on the trait Need for Cognition (NFC) conceptualization.
  • Two studies were conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the MFC scale.
  • Statistical analyses assessed reliability, dimensionality, and convergent/discriminant validity through correlations with related constructs.

Main Results:

  • Study 1 confirmed the MFC scale reliably measures a single, one-dimensional construct.
  • The MFC scale demonstrated expected relationships with trait Need for Cognition (NFC) and task effort choices.
  • Study 2 provided further evidence for the MFC scale's validity, showing expected correlations with achievement motives, self-control, vitality, and affect.

Conclusions:

  • The 10-item Motivation for Cognition (MFC) state scale is a reliable and valid measure of momentary cognitive motivation.
  • The MFC scale offers a valuable tool for psychological research and practice, particularly in social cognition.
  • This measure facilitates the study of situational influences on cognitive engagement and effort allocation.