Lecture 11

Question 1

Motivation need theory

Answer 1

David McCellend Harvard/Boston - Porf did a postdoc with him

Can make a few predictions based on this

Question 2

Motives definition

Answer 2

Relatively enduring preferences for a broad class of affectively charged incentives, such as having impact or doing things better

Some ppl are energized by some things and others not. This might be down to their motivations

Question 3

How to assess motives?

Answer 3

Thematic apperception test

Apperception: the mental process by which a person makes sense of an idea by assimilating it to the body of ideas he or she already possesses.

Give images, allow the person to tell a story about those images

Objectively code them

Question 4

The Big Three Motives

Answer 4

Need for:

Achievement - a recurrent preference for experiences of doing well and being successful

Power - recurrent preference for having impact on others

Intimacy - a recurrent preference for experiences of warmth close and communicative interactions with others

USED TO BE affiliation but this was more to be seen as a fear of losing relationships which was not what they were looking for

Question 5

Henry Murray

Answer 5

Psychoanalytic
Came up with 40 motives
Thought they were all unconscious
Hence used the test rather than asked them
Psychologists built on this

Question 6

How are the scores processed?

Answer 6

Empirically derived - was not by a theory. Aroused a motivation in people and then had them make a story. Compared this to the control without arousal and saw what the difference was.
Identified differences in content and themes

Objective coding - 90% interrater reliability when trained

Controlled for the number of stories and word length
By adjusting the number of power images

Standardize: T-score, 50 as mean, 10 SD

Achievement is independent
Need for power/Intimacy negatively corelated

Question 7

Validity evidence: Activities

Answer 7

nAch - moderate challenge, personal responsibility, extensive feedback: does not predict school success cos not moderate challenge and no feedback

nPow - exerting influence and being noticed

nInt - conversing with people in a warm reciprocal manner

Question 8

Horse shoe example

Answer 8

High nAch - moderate distance, 5050 chance, optimum to see if you are getting better

High nPow - form really far back if there’s an audience

Question 9

Occupational preferences

Answer 9

nAch - small business owner, research, sales

nPow - manager, clergy

nInt - counsellor, mediator

Question 10

Martha Stewart

Answer 10

High in nAch and nPow

Empire building format

Question 11

Interpersonal relationships

Answer 11

nInt - dyadic interactions w close friends

nPow - agentic, assertive style in relations (groups, activity planning)

nAch - shared activities that are goal orientated

Question 12

Why big 3?

Answer 12

McCellen felt this was parsimonius
Can explain a lot with it

Can be identifies in young children
Can be seen in all cultures
Can be linked with a natural incentive:

Mastery: nAch
Impact: nPow
Connection: nInt