Motivation is a complex process that involves both impulsive (hot) and deliberative (cold) aspects. While previous literature has assumed that each component independently provides energetic forces and determines behaviors, conflicting observations challenge this oversimplified model. To address this gap, this paper proposes a dual-component model to examine the motivation process. We first introduce a quickness-appropriateness framework to capture the variation in the effectiveness of motivation. Given the critical role of cognitive activities in the motivational process, we suggest that it consumes limited mental resources to achieve effectiveness. Therefore, the motivation process should maintain a balance between quickness and appropriateness within the budget of mental resources to achieve desired outcomes. Lastly, we apply the dual-process theory to distinguish the automatic and controlled components, whose complementary cooperation is critical in making the motivation process effective. Our proposed theory suggests a nuanced interactive relationship between the automatic and controlled components, with their cooperation essential in maintaining the balance. We discuss the theoretical contributions and future research directions of our model.
