Final answer:
Psychologists describe motivation as the desires or needs that propel behavior towards a goal, with intrinsic and extrinsic types influencing motivated behavior. Biological, behavioral, and social perspectives offer varied explanations for different behaviors, including basic needs and complex human interactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psychologists define motivation as the wants or needs that direct behavior toward a goal. This concept includes various perspectives, considering both biological motives and those that are psychologically or socially influenced. Motivations can be categorized as intrinsic, arising from within due to personal satisfaction, or extrinsic, stemming from external rewards or recognition from others.
When analyzing motivated behavior, psychologists look at physiological, behavioral, and social factors. Biological theories of motivation include the instinct theory and the need to maintain bodily homeostasis. On the other hand, the behavioral perspective, led by figures such as B.F. Skinner, argues that behaviors are a response to environmental stimuli and the consequences they produce, focusing heavily on learned behaviors.
Psychologists also explore how motivation is connected to basic human needs, like hunger and sexual behavior, and examine a range of social behaviors motivated by our interactions with others. Complex theories like Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs arrange motivational factors from basic physiological requirements to higher-level aspirations like self-actualization.