According to the motivation formula, motivation results from which two elements?

• A. A Task Worth Accomplishing + A Sense That He/She Can Be Successful = Motivation
• B. External Rewards and Punishments
• C. Random Chance
• D. Social Approval Only

Answer: (A)

Motivation comes from two things: how valuable the task is to you and your belief that you can actually succeed at it. When you see the task as worth doing—meaningful, useful, or interesting—and you feel confident in your ability to accomplish it, you’re naturally more willing to put in effort, stay with the task, and push through challenges. This combination—task value plus expectancy of success—directly fuels motivation.

External rewards, random chance, or social approval alone don’t capture this internal push. External rewards can influence behavior, but they don’t address how much you care about the task or whether you believe you can succeed. Random chance isn’t a reliable driver, and social approval focuses on others’ opinions rather than your own valuation and self-efficacy.