Chapter 4 - Motivation And Involvement Flashcards
What is motivation
Motivation is the processes that cause people to behave when a need is aroused and an individual seeks to satisfy that need
Need recognition
The motivation process begins with need recognition described as the perceived difference between the consumers existing state and their ideal state
This difference leads to a state of tension. The larger the perceived difference the larger the level of tension and the more intense is the drive, or initial motivation to behave, in order to reduce the tension. You should realize however, that need recognition must be triggered by either an external or an internal stimulus
Drive strength
The degree of jetting reach a goal is determined by the individuals drive strength. Once this drive strength has initiated an intention to behave, the individual considers the various courses of action available then decides on an appropriate pattern of behavior termed a drive direction. The resulting behavior is strongly determined by the unique set of previous experiences stored in the individuals memory. You should also be aware of the cultural and social factors that’s have shaped these previous experiences and created the wants which will achieve the end goal of tension reduction.
What is underlying motivation?
The willingness, or amount of effort, a person is prepared to direct toward attaining the end goal needed to reduce tension and satisfy recognized needs is termed underlying motivation. There are three groups of theory that attempt to explain why people will expend this effort. Instinct theory, drive theory and expectancy theory
Drive direction
As well as the strength of motivations there is a direction or preferred choice, between the alternatives to goal satisfaction. Not all people facing needs will choose the same pattern of behavior to satisfy those needs. The role of marketers is to convince people that the alternative they have to offer is the most satisfactory solution to their problem. The six factors which may influence drive direction are
Needs versus wants The different types of needs Learned needs Maslows need hierarchy Motivational conflict Hidden motives
Needs versus wants
The gap between the actual state of being and a desired state is termed need recognition. As already discussed, there are a number of alternative choices that can achieve this. These are referred to as wants. You should realize the importance of social experiences in determining wants
Types of needs
People are born with natural or biogenic needs such as the need for food, water and shelter. Psychogenic needs are acquired as people learn to operate as an integral part of their society and culture. Psychogenic needs include the need for status and power and the feeling of acceptance or belonging.
Needs may also be utilitarian, whereby the tangible attributes of products are of greatest importance to the consumer. Alternatively hedonic needs reflect the consumers desire for goods or services that activate the affective system, arousing feelings of love, hatred or fear and providing responses such as please and fantasy
Learned needs
Many of our needs are not innate, but are learned, and strongly influence the direction of motivation.
Affiliation needs are those which motivate people to associate with others, seek friends and become members of groups. It explains consumption behavior to eliminate loneliness
The need for power refers to the desire to control others. This can be manifested as either positive, resulting in persuasive or inspirational behavior, or negative, resulting in domination and the desire for the submission of others
Achievement needs drive people to succeed and take responsibility for solving problems
Uniqueness needs drive people to assert an individual identity and develop qualities which make them distinctive
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
This hierarchical approach implies that the order of development is fixed - that is, a certain level must be attained before the next, higher one activated.
At each level, different priorities exist in terms of the product benefits a consumer is looking for. Ideally and individual progresses up the hierarchy until their dominant motivation is a focus on ultimate goals, such as justice, personal challenge and beauty.
The basic lesson of Maslows hierarchy is that we must first satisfy basic needs before progressing up the ladder. This implies that consumers value different product attributes depending upon what is currently available to them.
It is helpful to marketers because it reminds us that consumers may have different need priorities in different consumption situations as at different stages in their lives - not because it exactly specifies a consumers progression up the ladder of needs.
Lower level needs
- physiological (water, sleep, food)
- safety (security, shelter, protection)
- belongingness (love, friendship, acceptance by others)
- ego needs (prestige, status, accomplishment)
- self-actualisation (self-fulfillment, enriching experiences)
Upper level needs
Motivational conflict
People are motivated to behave and achieve and end goal for either:
- the positive reward of achieving that goal or
- the avoidance of negative outcomes which would occur due to failure in attaining that goal
Three types of conflict may occur:
Approach-approach conflict
When a person must choose between two equally favorable alternatives. Following this choice people often find themselves in a new state of tension wondering if they have made the correct choice. This is referred to as cognitive dissonance. The tension is usually reduced by internal rationalization.
Approach-avoidance conflict
When an alternative results in both positive and negative outcomes. For example eating a whole block of chocolate. People rationalize with themselves. Marketers can assist with this internal rationalization.
Avoidance-avoidance
People are often faced with conflict due to having to choose between alternatives that are equally negative in their outcome.
Hidden motives
While motives are the driving force behind consumer behavior, they are not always based upon rational reasoning.
Freudian theory
Freud argued that a significant amount of human behavior is motivated by the unconscious mind resulting from the interaction of theee forces, the id, the ego and the super ego.
Involvement
The concept of involvement is another component of the cognitive and affective systems that is critical to understanding consumer behavior.
Involvement refers to the level of perceived personal importance, or interest, evoked by a stimulus, or degree of self relevance that and individual attaches to a stimulus in a given situation and at a given time.
Involvement is not related to a stimulus but to an individual.
The ability of an individual to process information depends on knowledge acquired through experience and stored in memory. How much effort an individual is prepared to outlay to interpret, store and retrieve knowledge depends upon how important or relevant a particular stimulus is to them in a specific situation.
Ego involvement
The level of importance of an object or an action to a persons self concept is termed their enduring involvement, because it is continually present. It is also termed ego involvement
Felt involvement
Is determined by ego involvement and situational relevance, or the factors activated during a specific occasion or moment in time. It is an individual psychological state that motivates the cognitive processes of perception and interpretation
