Motivation and cognition were treated as separate concepts throughout most of twentieth-century psychology. However, in recent years researchers have begun viewing the two as inextricably intertwined: not only does what we want affect how we think, but how we think affects what we want. In this innovative study, Beswick presents a new general theory of cognitive motivation, synthesizing decades of existing research in social, cognitive and personality psychology. New basic concepts are applied to a wide range of purposive behaviour. Part I of the volume reviews different forms of cognitive motivation, such as curiosity, cognitive dissonance, achievement motivation, and the search for purpose and meaning, while Part II examines the basic processes that underlie it, such as working memory, attention and emotion. The central concept is the incomplete gestalt, in which motivation is generated by a universal striving to integrate information and make sense at all levels of cognitive organization.

‘This is the definitive book on the history of scientific research on curiosity. Dr Beswick offers a gift to readers, synthesizing research across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries to offer new insights on human motivation.'

Todd B. Kashdan - George Mason University, Virginia and author of The Upside of your Dark Side and Curious?

‘Human beings not only think but want to think, and in particular ways. Beswick's book on cognitive motivation breaks new ground in exploring the fascinating interplay between psychology's two most fundamental concepts, namely cognition and motivation. This is an impressive, thoughtful, erudite treatment of the topic, including dazzling integration of what psychology's best thinkers have had to say about it.'

Roy F. Baumeister - author of The Cultural Animal: Human Nature, Meaning, and Social Life

'David Beswick shows how the concept of an incomplete gestalt is relevant to different forms of cognitive motivation and how it relates to basic processes of memory, consciousness and emotion, as well as to goals, identity, meaning and purpose. This is a major work, scholarly and well-argued, providing a background to the many fascinating ideas that are presented. Highly recommended.'

Norman Feather - Flinders University, Adelaide