To use technical terminology rather than layman’s:
A preference is demonstrated when an organism consistently makes one decision instead of another. It is a behavioral concept.
A motivation refers to the underlying cause of the organism’s preference. Generally, these are divided into extrinsic and intrinsic motivations although the exact nature of this distinction or whether this is the best way to classify the cognitive processes underlying preference is a point of dispute. The word “motivation” by itself is generally used to refer to intrinsic motivation which is a cognitive term. Extrinsic motivation is a behavioral term. Extrinsic motivation is also often referred to as reinforcement and punishment under the behaviorist classification system.
To use technical terminology rather than layman’s:
A preference is demonstrated when an organism consistently makes one decision instead of another. It is a behavioral concept.
A motivation refers to the underlying cause of the organism’s preference. Generally, these are divided into extrinsic and intrinsic motivations although the exact nature of this distinction or whether this is the best way to classify the cognitive processes underlying preference is a point of dispute. The word “motivation” by itself is generally used to refer to intrinsic motivation which is a cognitive term. Extrinsic motivation is a behavioral term. Extrinsic motivation is also often referred to as reinforcement and punishment under the behaviorist classification system.
Liking is distinct from preferring.