Motivation and Values

Psych 215
February 1, 2017

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 Mo#va#on

S  What do you want? How will you try to get it?

S  Goals and strategies

S  Goals drive behavior by influencing what you a;end to, think
about, and do

S  People do not always behave consistently with their stated

goals

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 Mo#va#on: Goals

S  Short-term and long-term goals

S  Idiographic goals
S  Current concerns
S  Personal projects
S  Personal strivings

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 Mo#va#on: Goals

S  Proper#es of idiographic goals

S  Conscious at least some of the #me
S  Describe thoughts and behaviors that are aimed at fairly specific
outcomes
S  Can change over #me
S  Assumed to func#on independently

S  Limita#on of idiographic goals

S  Goals are not theore#cally organized

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 Mo#va#on: Goals

S  Nomothe#c goals
S  May bring order to idiographic goals
S  Number of goals
S  McClelland’s three primary mo#va#ons: needs for achievement,
affilia#on, and power
S  Emmon’s five: enjoyment, self-asser#on, esteem, interpersonal
success, avoidance of nega#ve affect
S  Two: work and social interac#on

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 Motivations

S  How does personality manifest?

S  Motivated preferences and biases in the ways that people see
the world and cope in the world (Higgins & Scholer)
S  Values (Schwartz & Bilsky)
S  Concepts or beliefs
S  Pertain to desirable end states or behaviors
S  Transcend specific situations
S  Guide selection or evaluation of behavior and events
S  Ordered by relative importance
S  Motivation = “to move”
S  Toward a desired end state/goal
S  Away from an undesired one (Cooper)
Motivations and Personality
 Schwartz’s model

S  Goal type
S  Terminal (e.g., equality, wisdom)
S  Instrumental (capable, obedient)

S  Interests served
S  Individualistic
S  Collective

S  Motivational domain
S  Prosocial
S  Restrictive conformity
S  Enjoyment
S  Achievement
S  Maturity
S  Self-direction
S  Security
Schwartz’s circumplex
Spotlight on Research

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Cooper’s motivational model of
substance use

Approach Avoidance

Internally focused Enhance physical/ Cope with threats to

emotional pleasure or self-esteem or negative
excitement emotions

Externally focused Bond with others or Avoid social censure or

improve social gain other’s approval
gatherings
Why do the motives matter?
 Research Methods

S  Longitudinal study
S  Adolescents
S  Up to 5 assessments across 15 years

S  Random-digit dial
S  Oversampled to achieve more racially/ethnically diverse sample

S  Alcohol use and motives

S  Structured interview

S  Drinking problems
S  Privacy envelope