A situative turn in the conversation on motivation theories

In this commentary I take a situative turn in the theoretical conversation around the question, “Why do people do what they do?” The first section describes in broad strokes what a situative perspective on motivation or engagement entails. Next, I comment on aspects of the five articles as they relate to the history and methods of socio-cognitive and situative approaches to understanding motives to learn. Then, using the central organizing framework of “meaning systems” in situative approaches, I suggest ways that a situative perspective might contribute to ongoing work in the five motivation theories and how some of the authors take steps in that direction.