Cognitive drive and self-improvement drive

As children grow older, they need to learn a lot in school. How well a person studies is determined by many factors. The learning environment, family environment, and the people they come into contact with on a daily basis are all very important for a student. Ausubel divides students' academic performance in school into three aspects: cognitive intrinsic motivation, self-improvement intrinsic motivation, and affiliation intrinsic motivation. Many people do not understand this, so a detailed introduction is given below.

Cognitive drive is the need to know and comprehend the things around us, the need to master knowledge, and the need to systematically explain and solve problems. In learning activities, cognitive drive is directed to the learning task itself (in order to acquire knowledge) and is an important and stable motivation. Since the need satisfaction (acquisition of knowledge) is provided by learning itself, it is also called intrinsic motivation.

The intrinsic motivation for self-improvement refers to the need for an individual to gain corresponding status and prestige through his or her academic achievements. It does not directly point to knowledge and learning tasks themselves, but regards academic performance as the source of gaining status and self-esteem. It was first proposed by Ausubel. Ausubel discussed the characteristics, functions, and cultivation and stimulation measures of the internal motivation for self-improvement.

Affiliated Drive refers to the need to do well in study or work in order to maintain the approval or recognition of elders (such as teachers, parents) or the group. This motivational characteristic is more prominent in the learning activities of young children, manifested in the pursuit of good academic results, with the goal of gaining praise and recognition.

The intrinsic motivation for self-improvement refers to the need for an individual to gain corresponding status and prestige through his or her academic achievements. It does not directly target knowledge and learning tasks themselves, but rather regards academic achievement as the source of gaining status and self-esteem. This need becomes increasingly important from the time children start entering school and becomes a major component of achievement motivation.

The internal motivation for self-improvement is a need to win a certain social status by being competent in certain work and achieving certain achievements through one's own efforts. The difference between it and cognitive intrinsic motivation is that cognitive intrinsic motivation is directed towards the knowledge content itself, and it is satisfied with acquiring knowledge and understanding things; the intrinsic motivation for self-improvement is directed towards a certain social status, and it is satisfied with gaining a certain status. Because in society, certain achievements can always win a certain status, and the size of the achievement determines the level of the status he wins. Therefore, achieving success becomes a prerequisite for gaining status. And because the achievement is commensurate with the level of ability. In this way, the pursuit of status leads to the achievement of achievements and the improvement of abilities, becoming the internal driving force for self-improvement. From this point of view, the pursuit of status is the direct goal of motivation; the acquisition of achievement and the improvement of ability are indirect goals. Clearly, the drive for self-improvement is an extrinsic motivation.