And finally, motivation is ...

We have already defined motivation as a psychological process by which we direct our attentional resources and the intensity of those resources as applied to a behavior and its expected outcome. When we understand two little words, saliency and valence, then we understand the fundamental mechanisms of motivation.

Saliency means that something "pops out at us", gets our immediate attention, the outcome is relevant to us. One of the main ways something is salient to us is that it is proximal, or "near us" in time and space. This is where the notion of the "tyranny of the urgent" comes from. Situations right in our face usually get our attentional rsources, which means we are motivated to behaviors assoicated with that situation. However, saliency alone will influence effort only to the point where we settle the immediate issue. To exert high levels of effort, there must also be valence.

Valence means that something is important to us. The outcome form the behavior has value to us. Matt 6 says "were our treasure is our heart will be also". The Bible simply explains the valence aspect of human motivation. Treasure means "what we value" and heart means "the seat of our motives". Thus we tend to or seek after that which we value. Of course Matt 6 states later to "seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and all the other things we need will come". Jesus is reminding Christians that if we value the provisions and privileges of the Heavenlies, our soul's well-being is in good shape :-)

Thus, if we are trying to motivate someone or trying to enhance our own motivation, we must nurture the value the outcome has to them (or us). While saliency may get our immediate attention because a situation may demand it, we generally do not put forth effort with any intensity toward those behaviors that bring us outcomes we do not value.

There are a couple of other judgments we make that are precursors to our judgment on value. We must first believe we have the efficacy to perform in a way we will receive the desired behavioral outcome. Then we must believe that if we perform, we will actually receive the deisred outcome. This involves judgments of perceived control and fairness of the reward giver.

Well, motivation is both complex and simple at the same time. Whatever motivational activity we put in place will not motivate without saliency and valence and will motivate with those two facets of motivation present!!