13 - Motivation

Motives

Internal state that arouses and directs behaviour toward a specific object or goal based on needs, avoiding undesired outcomes.

Henry Murray’s Levels of Motivation

• Immediate or temporary needs

• Stable & enduring needs

• Most general needs (hedonistic, survival)

Need

A state of tension characterized by a readiness to respond and a feeling of being compelled, pulled.

Not necessarily conscious

Press

A situation or opportunity that provokes or “pulls for” a particular need.

Alpha press

objective view of the situation. e.g., A person smiles at you walking down the street. your response is to smile Smile

Beta press

perceived or subjective view of a situation. your response is based on need of affiliation. e.g., A person smiles at you walking down the street. your response is see it as being friendly and start a conversation, or see it as a smirk and become suspicious.

this influences your needs.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Murray’s test in which a person interprets ambiguous situations in ways that might reflect their current needs to assess the relative importance of (perhaps unconscious) needs.

what does the TAT measure?

implicit motivation—unconscious desires, aspirations, and needs

Need for Achievement

interest in reaching or setting a standard of excellence.

Expressed as: words that positively evaluate a performance, winning/competing, negative feeling as a result of doing badly.

Need for Power

desire to control or influence others, or have an impact on the world.

Expressed as: strong forceful actions, attempts to influence others, giving help/advice, attempts to impress others.

Need for Intimacy

establishing & maintaining friendly relations among persons or groups. can also be romantic.

Expressed as: positive/friendly feelings towards another, sadness about separation, disruption, loss of friend. Doing things together for sake of friendship.

humanistic perspectives of motivation

Emphasis is on the conscious awareness of needs, choice, and personal responsibility.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

• Physiological (most basic, bottom need)

• Safety

• Belongingness

• Esteem

• Self-actualization (highest need).

Deficiency needs

People yearn for the gratification of these needs for health and well-being. Deprivation leads ill-health

• Physiological: food, water, air, sleep, and sex

• Safety: shelter and security

• Belongingness: accepted by others and welcomed into a group

Growth needs

Desire to be a better person, to be all you can be.

People don’t “yearn” for them. Pursuit of these needs lead to a sense of fulfilment.

• Esteem: esteem from others and self-esteem

• Self-actualization: need to develop one’s potential and develop one’s true self

Maslow Limitations

• Very rigid structure: You can sometimes work to higher needs while sacrificing lower hierarchy needs

• Selection bias: Largely based on case studies he did with people who he classified as self-actualizers

• Doesn’t factor in cultural differences

Flow

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

Roger’s contributions

focused on ways to foster and attain self-actualization.

Need for positive regard: Parents should give kids unconditional positive regard e.g., love, affection, & respect without them having to do something to earn it. This develops a positive sense of self.