Motivation and Emotion - Achievement Motive

The achievement motive is characterized by the desire to accomplish difficult tasks, set challenging goals, and excel in performance. Individuals with a high achievement motive often seek out opportunities for personal growth and are driven by intrinsic rewards such as satisfaction and mastery.

The Achievement Motive

• The achievement motive is the need to:

  • Master difficult challenges.

  • Outperform others.

  • Meet high standards of excellence.

• It involves the desire to excel, especially in competition.

• David McClelland argued that achievement motivation is crucial for:

  • Economic growth.

  • Scientific progress.

  • Inspirational leadership.

  • Masterpieces in the creative arts.

Key Learning Goals

• Describe the need for achievement and its measurement.

• Explain how the need for achievement and situational factors influence achievement strivings.

Individual Differences in the Need for Achievement

• The need for achievement is a stable personality trait.

• Research focuses on variations among individuals.

• Measurement typically involves the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).

  • TAT is a projective test using ambiguous stimuli (pictures of people in ambiguous scenes) to reveal personal motives and traits.

  • Participants create stories about the scenes, and the themes are scored to measure the strength of various needs.

  • Examples of pictures used include a man at a desk and a woman seated staring off into space.

• Figure 9.13 shows examples of stories dominated by themes of achievement and affiliation needs

• High need for achievement is associated with:

  • Working harder and more persistently on tasks.

  • Delaying gratification to pursue long-term goals.

  • Higher educational attainment.

  • Greater success in business.

  • Choosing competitive occupations that provide opportunities to excel.

• Individuals high in achievement need tend to select tasks of intermediate difficulty.

Situational Determinants of Achievement Behavior

• Situational factors also influence achievement strivings.

• John Atkinson's theory builds on McClelland's, identifying situational determinants:

  • Strength of motivation to achieve success (stable personality aspect).

  • Estimate of the probability of success (varies from task to task).

  • Incentive value of success (tangible and intangible rewards).

• The last two variables are situational determinants.

• Pursuit of achievement increases as the probability of success and incentive value increase.

• Example: Motivation to achieve a good mark in philosophy depends on:

  • The difficulty of the exams (expectancy of success).

  • The requirement of a good mark for one's major (incentive value).

• Joint influence of situational factors explains why high achievers prefer tasks of intermediate difficulty.

• Probability and incentive value of success are interdependent:

  • Easier tasks = less satisfying success.

  • Harder tasks = more satisfying but less likely success.

  • Moderately challenging tasks offer the best overall value.

Measuring Motives with the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

• Subjects taking the TAT tell or write stories about what is happening in a scene.

• The stories are then analyzed to identify thematic ideas related to different motivations, such as affiliation or achievement.

Example Stories:

• Affiliation Arousal: George, an engineer working late, is worried about his wife's annoyance due to his neglect. He struggles to balance his boss's demands and his wife's needs, emphasizing his love for her and his determination to finish work quickly to return home ($Affiliation$$$Affiliation$$).

• Achievement Arousal: George, an engineer, aims to win a competition by creating a practical bridge drawing. He envisions his happiness upon winning, recalling the use of a new, strong steel alloy in his design ($Achievement$$$Achievement$$).

Reality Check: Misconceptions about Achievement Motivation

• Misconception: People with high achievement motivation are risk takers who prefer very challenging tasks.

• Reality: People who score high in achievement motivation seem to need to experience success; many of them fear failure. Thus, they tend to select tasks that are moderately challenging and pursue goals that are reasonably realistic. They are not necessarily the most daring risk takers.

Cultural Variability in Emotion

• Emotions are influenced by cultural values.

• Emotions aligned with a culture's values are more common and intense.

• Emotions conflicting with a culture's values are less common and intense due to suppression.

• Example: Anger is rare among Utku Inuits who value interpersonal harmony.