Final Project Post

When you take a course with a title as vague as "Motivation," you do not really know what to expect. Some may assume it to be a course of such nature to be shallow and an "easy A" course, while others may expect to get lost in an endless sea of abstract theories and irrelevant case studies. However, I found this course to be an extremely insightful look into human nature; exploring what drives us, how it does so and why. Through our lectures, I uncovered simple answers to huge questions (such as the logic behind attracting a mate), while other things that appeared initially simple wound up being intensely deep and intriguing (such as the way hunger and thirst drive us).

These are hardly the only cases that come to mind when it comes to appealing and intriguing subject material. Explorations into how our Personality and Self Image affect Motivation led to me second-guessing my mindset about many different tasks and projects I struggled with in the past. Looking into Arousal and Behavior gave me better insight into what truly drives an individual aside from natural needs. And understanding Universal Motives provided me with a better perspective of how similar our desires are to everyone else on the planet, regardless of our culture or history.

If I had to pick a favorite element of the course, it would be the utilization of the class blog. I feel that it is one of the most unique and creative ways I have seen used to create a sense of community in a course where most of the work was based online. The assigned readings were always very helpful and relevant as well; the article on Adderall reminded me why I avoid the stuff and provided a lot of great information about its effects and its flaws, while the Luck article provided me with a lot of insight into how our attitudes shape the world around us. I would definitely recommend this course not just for fellow Psych majors but anyone looking to get a better perspective on how we as humans function and thrive.

In closing, I'd like to provide a link to Baz Luhrmann's Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) video. The words were taken from a commencement address by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich. I've always found it to be one of the most uniquely motivating things I have ever encountered. I hope anyone that watches it gets the same feeling I did: