According to Maslow’s theory, prepotent needs are those specific needs (of the five levels in the model) that are capable of motivating behavior at any given point in time.
Process theories
are motivation theories that focus on how people become motivated and what they are motivated to do rather than on what motivates them.
punishment
Yet another term from reinforcement theory, punishment refers to a situation in which a behavior is followed by negative consequences and so is not repeated.
Ratio schedules
are partial reinforcement schedules in which behavior is reinforced as a function of how many times the behavior occurs—for example, rewarding someone every fifth time a desired behavior occurs.
Reinforcement theory
is a process theory, usually associated with B. F. Skinner, that proposes that all behavior is a function of its consequences.
Valence
refers to how attractive or unattractive an outcome is for a person.
Variable interval schedules
are interval schedules in which the amount of time that must pass before a reward is given can change from one reward period to another.
Variable ratio schedules
are ratio schedules in which the number of times a behavior must occur before it is rewarded changes over time.