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Definitional devils and detail: On identifying motivation as an animating dynamic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2025

Rex A. Wright Open the ORCID record for Rex A. Wright [Opens in a new window] ,
Simona Sciara Open the ORCID record for Simona Sciara [Opens in a new window]  and
Giuseppe Pantaleo Open the ORCID record for Giuseppe Pantaleo [Opens in a new window]
Rex A. Wright*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Dell School of Medicine, Austin, TX, USA Rex.Wright@austin.utexas.edu https://dellmed.utexas.edu/directory/rex-a-wright Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
Simona Sciara
Affiliation:
Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy. simona.sciara@outlook.com pantaleo.giuseppe@unisr.it https://www.unisr.it/docenti/p/pantaleo-giuseppe
Giuseppe Pantaleo
Affiliation:
Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy. simona.sciara@outlook.com pantaleo.giuseppe@unisr.it https://www.unisr.it/docenti/p/pantaleo-giuseppe
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Murayama and Jach critically evaluate the idea that motivation is a dynamic that determines behavior and propose alternatively that it might be an emergent property that people construe through perceived regularities in experience and action. The critique has value but fails to appreciate the progress that has been made in moving beyond the idea of which the authors are critical.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 48 , 2025 , e48
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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