The concept of motivation focuses on explaining what "moves" behaviour. The term motivation is derived from the Latin word 'movere', referring to movement of activity. Most of our everyday explanation of behaviour is given in terms of motives. For example, a student may attend school to learn, make friends, obtain a degree, or make parents happy. Such reasons explain why one chooses to pursue higher education.

Motives are general states that enable us to make predictions about behaviour in many different situations. A person with a strong need for achievement will work hard in school, sports, business, or music. Thus, motivation is one of the determinants of behaviour.

The process of persistent behaviour directed towards a specific goal, resulting from certain driving forces, is called motivation. Instincts, drives, needs, goals, and incentives come under the broad cluster of motivation. Psychologists use the concept of need to describe the motivational properties of behaviour. A need is a lack or deficit of some necessity, and the condition of need leads to drive.

There are two types of motivation: biological motivation and psychosocial motivation. Biological motivation focuses on innate, biological causes such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and brain structures like the hypothalamus and limbic system. Examples include hunger, thirst, and sex. Psychosocial motivation explains motives resulting mainly from the interaction of the individual with his social environment. Examples include need for affiliation, need for achievement, curiosity and exploration, and need for power.