There is a need to clarify the nature of motivation because, in spite of much research on motivation, there are still widely divergent views about exactly what motivation is. For example, motivation can be viewed as either a short-term state or as a long-term predisposition. The purpose of the present paper is to critically compare these two conceptualizations with reference to the research literature and recent definitions. It was found that motivation should not be viewed as a long-term

more »

... position, or a collection of beliefs. Instead, it is argued that motivation should be viewed as a short-term state of mind that can be influenced by one's long-term predispositions.