Toward a Unified Model of Human Motivation

Abstract

Motivational theory has taken many forms throughout history, reflecting the scientific paradigms and current concerns of the day. The result is a diverse array of theoretical constructs and core motive concepts, with no systematic integration of this work. This paper proposes a unified model that places motivational concepts from past work within a comprehensive descriptive structure, akin to the periodic table of elements in chemistry. Starting from the precept that all human motivation is a search for change, the model identifies two key taxonomic questions: “Change where?” and “What type of change?” The result is a 3 × 3 matrix with rows that represent answers to the “Change where?” question (within the self, within the material world, within the social world), and columns that represent answers to the “What type of change?” question (change in potential/expectations for life, change in process/experience of living, and change in outcomes/evaluation of life activities). The matrix generates nine motivational domains—each reflecting the properties of its respective rows and columns. The model accounts for virtually all of the motives proposed by the major motivational theorists of the last century. By introducing a potentially precise common language in the taxonomy of motives, it is hoped that the model can provide a foundation for the systematic study of individual development, for the analysis of personality and cultural differences, and for investigating situational dynamics in human behavior.