Motivation Science

Explore the psychology and neuroscience behind what actually drives human behavior. These posts unpack the research, models, and mechanisms that power the AgileBrain framework, from the 12 Motivational Needs to the biology of drive itself. If you want to understand motivation at its root, start here.

  • J. David Pincus
Mastering Emotional Agility: A Unified Model of Human Motivation Inspired by the Periodic Table

What motivates you to act, dream, or change? This fundamental question is at the heart of The Emotionally Agile Brain:…

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Peer-reviewed Research
  • J. David Pincus
Validation of a Brief Image Elicitation Task as an Indicator of Subjective Wellbeing
Published: Frontiers in Public Health

J.D. Pincus discusses the validation of a brief image elicitation task as a novel method to assess subjective wellbeing in…

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Peer-reviewed Research
  • J. David Pincus
Leadership as a Determinant of Need Fulfillment: Implications for Meta-Theory, Methods, and Practice
Published: Frontiers in Psychology

Leadership remains a major focus in both private and public sectors, with a huge investment of $356 billion in 2015…

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Peer-reviewed Research
  • J. David Pincus
Organizational Culture as a Need Fulfillment System: Implications for theory, methods, and practice
Published: Human Arenas

This article critiques the current understanding of organizational culture, highlighting the lack of theoretical consensus and clear definitions. It proposes…

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Peer-reviewed Research
  • J. David Pincus
Values as Motives: Implications for theory, methods, and practice
Published: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science

Human values are fundamental to understanding various fields, including culture, ethics, politics, sociology, and management. These values represent the core…

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Science of Emotions
  • J. David Pincus
Science of Emotions

Think of everything you know about emotions. What words pop into your mind when I say “emotions”?  Feelings? Thoughts? Or…

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Peer-reviewed Research
  • J. David Pincus
The Structure of Motivation: Implications for Theory, Methods, and Practice
Published: BMC Psychology

A recently developed unified model of human motivation brings together various 'mini-theories' into a cohesive framework based on fundamental principles…

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Peer-reviewed Research
  • J. David Pincus
Wellbeing as Need Fulfillment: Implications for Theory, Methods, and Practice
Published: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science

Human resource professionals, point solution providers, and the mental health care industry often promote holistic well-being, but the concept lacks…

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Peer-reviewed Research
  • J. David Pincus
Employee Engagement as Human Motivation: Implications for Theory, Methods, and Practice
Published: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science

J.D. Pincus critiques the current state of employee engagement in human resource management, highlighting the lack of clear definitions and…

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Peer-reviewed Research
  • J. David Pincus
Theoretical and Empirical Foundations for a Unified Pyramid of Human Motivation
Published: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science

J.D. Pincus proposes a significant revision to Forbes' taxonomic model of human motivation by introducing a new, fourth life domain:…

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Peer-reviewed Research
  • J. David Pincus
A Time-Constrained, Image-Based method for Assessing Employee Emotions
Published: Employee Benefit Research Institute

Human values play a crucial role in numerous fields, including culture, ethics, politics, anthropology, sociology, social psychology, environmental studies, health…

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