Éducation thérapeutique du patient : une analyse du concept de motivation

Motivation is a major concept in patient education. The literature refers to a broad definition that does not sufficiently takes into account the involved mental states and neural mechanisms. Philosophy of action and neuroscience attempt to answer this difficult question: why do we do what we do? The purpose of this first article is to show the role of intentions and resolutions, particularly well-described in the philosophy of mind and taken up under the vision of neuroscience, to describe the underlying motivations for action and, specifically herein, for therapeutic tasks. This article shows how the motivation is an ongoing process of assessment of costs and benefits where executive functions are largely involved. This article describes the implications of this clarification of the concept of motivation in the teaching practice of patient education. This will be followed by a second article that will explain the implications of this clarification of the concept of motivation in the pedagogical practice.