Motivation is a term that refers to a process that elicits, controls, and sustains certain behaviors. Motivation is a group of phenomena which affect the nature of an individual's behavior, the strength of the behavior, and the persistence of the behavior. For instance: An individual has not eaten, he or she feels hungry, as a response he or she eats and diminishes feelings of hunger. There are many approaches to motivation: physiological, behavioural, cognitive, and social. It's the crucial element in setting and attaining goals—and research shows you can influence your own levels of motivation and self-control. According to various theories, motivation may be rooted in a basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure, or it may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or a desired object, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism, selfishness, morality, or avoiding mortality. Conceptually, motivation should not be confused with either volition or optimism. Motivation is related to, but distinct from, emotion.

Motivation bezeichnet das auf emotionaler bzw. neuronaler Aktivität (Aktivierung) beruhende Streben nach Zielen oder wünschenswerten Zielobjekten.

La motivation est, dans un organisme vivant, la composante ou le processus qui règle son engagement dans une action ou expérience. Elle en détermine le déclenchement dans une certaine direction avec l'intensité souhaitée et en assure la prolongation jusqu'à l'aboutissement ou l'interruption.

Drivkraft eller motivation, är det som skapar rörelse eller förändring.

Motywacja – stan gotowości człowieka do podjęcia określonego działania, to wzbudzony potrzebą zespół procesów psychicznych i fizjologicznych określający podłoże ludzkich zachowań i ich zmian.