Functional Autonomy Flashcards
Not person’s past
Functional autonomy of motives
Allport didn’t believe in looking too much into a person’s past in order to understand his present. This belief is most strongly evident in the concept of
functional autonomy.
This concept states that the motives for a certain behaviour today are independent (autonomous) of their origins.
Allport thus did not believe in looking too much into a person’s past in order to understand the present. This perhaps led to the term functional autonomy in
which a person’s motives today are independent (autonomous) of their origins.
For instance a person might have wanted to become an Information Technology specialist, because of the person getting first rank and getting prizes in it. However as of today the motive is different. That is, the person is an IT specialist because that itself is giving the person all that needs to be achieved.
To take another example, a person might have developed a taste for pizzas, due to some reason, but that is actually not important, what is important is that the person likes pizzas as of today and that is
what the person is now and that matters.
Theory of motivation
Functional autnomy as base for Theory of motivation
The concept of functional autonomy of motives provides the necessary base for a theory of motivation.
It simply means that adult motives are not related to past motives. The past is past, there are no strings attached.
In other words, the reasons why an adult now engages in some behaviour are independent of whatever reasons that might have originally caused her/him to engage in that behaviour.
Example of functionally autonomour motives
Allport suggested that much of adult behaviour is caused by functionally autonomous motives.
For example, he pointed to the case of a young student who first undertakes a field study in college because it is required, because it pleases his parents, or because it comes at a convenient hour.
As he starts working he finds himself absorbed in the topic, perhaps for life. The original motives
with which he started on the project is no more present.
What was a means to an end becomes an end itself.[1961,p.235]
Two types of functional autonomy
Allport [1961] differentiated between two types of functional autonomy, viz.,
(i) preservative functional autonomy
(ii) Propriate functional autonomy.
preservative functional autonomy
The first, preservative functional autonomy refers to feedback mechanisms in the nervous system that are governed by simple neurological principles.
These mechanisms become neurologically self-maintaining over time and help to keep the organism on track.
E.g. eating and going to bed at the same time each day. The main feature is repetitious activity.
propriate functional autonomy
The second, propriate functional autonomy refers to the acquired interests, values, attitudes and intentions of the person.
It is the master system of motivation that imparts consistency to the person’s striving for a congruent self image and a higher level of maturity and growth.
People may not be constantly rewarded to sustain their efforts. Thus, it represents the striving for values and goals, and the sense of responsibility that people take for their lives.
Self Assessment Questions
1) Define functional autonomy of motives and elucidate the concept
2) Discuss the different types of functional autonomy and highlight the
differences.
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