The Individual Module 4 Chapter 14 Motives and Personality

motives

Internal states that arouse and direct behaviour toward specific objects or goals. Often caused by a defecit, a lack of something.

needs

States of tension within a person. If this is satisfied, the state of tension is reduced.

hierarchy of needs

When an individual’s various needs can be thought of as existing at different levels of strength.

dynamic

Refers to the mutual influence of forces within a person.

state levels of a need

Refers to a person’s momentary amount of a specific need, which can fluctuate with specific circumstances.

trait levels of a need

Refers to measuring a person’s average tendency, or set-point, on the specific trait.

press

Refers to need-relevant aspects of the environment.

alpha press

So-called real environment.

Also called objectve reality.

beta press

So-called perceived environment.

Also called reality-as-it-isp-perceived.

apperception

The act of interpreting the environment and perceiving the meaning of what what is going on in a situation.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A formal technique for assessing the simple insight that needs and motives influence how we perceive the world.

Consists of a set of black-and-white images which are ambiguous (open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning).

The person is then asked to make up a story about what is happening in the picture.

Multi-Motive Grid

A newer form of assessing motives which combines features of the TAT with features of self-report questionnaires.

14 pictures are selected to arouse one of the big three motives (achievement, power, or intimacy). The pictures are presented with questions about important motivational states, and the person then answers those questions.

photo → arouse motive → influence how person answers the questions.

the big three motives

• achievement

• power

• intimacy

implicit motivation

Motives that are based on needs, such as the need for achievement (nAch), the need for power (nPow), and the need for intimacy (nInt), as they are measured in fantasy-based (i.e., TAT) measures.

explicit/self-attributed motivation

Reflects primarily a person’s self-awareness of his or her own conscious motives or ‘normative beliefs about desirable goals and modes of conduct’.

Reflect a person’s conscious awareness about what is important to him or her.

Self-Determination Theory (SDT)

Aims to combine the results of all kinds of studies on motivation, whether they focus on internal or external motivational factors and how they affect out social-cognitive development and personality.

Also tries to answer how socio-cultural factors can change one’s motivations, and enhance the quality of one’s actions and one’s well-being.

Has six mini-theories, most known is the basic needs theory.

the three needs of the Self-Determination Theory

• autonomy

• competence

• relatedness

autonomy

Being able to initiate actions by yourself, at free qill, and being able to self-regulate those actions.

Feeling that you are able to make your own decisions with psychological freedom.

You feel responsible and take control of your lofe with regards to the choices you make.

competence

The feeling that you are effective and competent in interacting with the environment and that you are optimally able to meet all kinds of challenging situations, and capable of producing the outcomes you desire.

relatedness

Resembles closely the need to belong, as it refers to feeling valued and connected to others, enabling you to receive but also give support to significant others.

need for achievement (nAch)

The desire to do better, to be succesful, and to feel competent.

It is energised by the incentives of challenge and variety, it is accompanied by feelings of interest and surprise, and it is associated with the subjective state of being curious and exploratory.

high nAch person preference

Moderately challenging tasks.

(1) Prefer activities that provide some, but not too much challenge.

(2) Enjoy tasks in which they are personally responsible for the outcome.

(3) Tasks for which feedback on their performance is available.

independence training

When parents behave in ways that promote autonomy and independence in their children.

need for power (nPow)

A readiness or preference for having an impact on other people.

high nPow

• Having arguments with others.

• Taking larger risks in gambling situations.

• Behaving assertively and actively in a small-group setting/

• Reporting more anger in situations of disobedience.

power stress

When high nPow people do not get their way, or when their power is challenged or blocked, they are likely to show strong stress responses.

need for intimacy (nInt) (or need for affiliation)

Recurrent preferenceor readiness for warm, close, and communitative interaction with others’.

physiological needs

Needs at the bottom of the hierarchy that are of prime importance to the immediate survival of the individual (e.g., food, water, air, sleep), as well as to the long-term survival of the species (e.g., the need for sex).

safety needs

Needs on the second level of the hierarchy that have to do with shelter and security.

belongingness needs

The third level of the hierarchy that holds that humans are very social species, and most people possess a strong need to belong to groups.

Loneliness is a sign that these needs are not being satisfied.

esteem needs

The fourth level of the hierarchy that holds two types of esteem - esteem from others and self-esteem, the latter often depeding on the former.

We want to be seen by others as competent, strong, and able to achieve, and for this respect to translate into self-esteem.

self-actualisation

The process of realising and fulfilling one's full potential, becoming the best version of oneself.

flow

A subjective state that people report when they are completely involved in something to the point of forgetting time, fatigue, and everything else but the activity itself.

A notion related to self-actualisation.

fully functioning person

Someone who is on his or her way toward self-actualisation.

positive regard

The inborn need for children for wanting to be loved and accepted by their parents and others.

conditions of worth

The requirements set forth by parents or significant others for earning their positive regard.

conditional positive regard

Positive regard that must be earned by meeting certain conditions.

unconditional positive regard

When the parents and significant others accept the child without conditions, communicating that they love and value the child because the child just is.

positive self-regard

When a person is able to give themselves unconditional positive regard and accept themselves for who they are.

They begin to take on the characteristics of a fully functioning person and begin to actualise the selves that they were meant to be.

anxiety

The result of having an experience that does not fot with one’s self-conception.

distortion

When someone’s response to anxiety is to alter the experience by modifying their experience rather than their self-image to reduce the threat.

emotional intelligence

The ability to:

• know one’s own emotions.

• regulate those emotions.

• motivate oneself.

• know how others are feeling.

• influence how others are feeling.

client-centered therapy

The therapist makes no attempts to change the client directly. Instead, the therapist tries to create the right conditions in which the client can change him or herself.

core conditions for client-centered therapy

• Genuine acceptance

• Unconditional positive regard

• Empathic understanding

empathy

The understanding of the other person from his or her point of view.