Volition

Lore & Background

Most modern conceptions of volition address it as a process of conscious action control which becomes automatized. Many researchers treat volition and willpower as scientific and colloquial terms for the same process. According to Gary Kielhofner's 'Model of Human Occupation', volition is one of the three sub-systems that act on human behavior, referring to a person's values, interests and self-efficacy. Kurt Lewin argues that motivation and volition are one and the same, in distinction to Narziß Ach, who proposed a threshold of desire distinguishing motivation from volition. Heinrich Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal differentiate volition from motivation, proposing assessing individuals' differing levels of commitment on a scale from motivation to volition. Discussions of impulse control and education also make the motivation-volition distinction.

Reader's Guide

Volitional processes can be applied consciously or can be automatized as habits over time. When a person makes up their mind to do a thing, that state is termed 'immanent volition'. When we put forth any particular act of choice, that act is called an emanant, executive, or imperative volition. When an immanent or settled state of choice controls a series of actions, that state is termed predominant volition. Subordinate volitions are particular acts of choice which carry into effect the object sought for by the governing or predominant volition.

Did You Know?

• Volition is one of the primary human psychological functions, alongside affect, motivation, and cognition.
• Corno's model ties volition to the processes of self-regulated learning.