Motivational Psych

Question 1

Motivational psychology

Answer 1

• Examines what drives people to do the things they do

- Personality is seen as consisting of a few general motives/drives

Question 2

Needs vs. motives vs. press

Answer 2

• Need: state of tension within a person; as a need is satisfied, the related tension is reduced (ex. the need to eat)
• Motive: internal state that arouses and directs behaviour toward and specific object of goal (ex. hunger); caused by a deficit or lack of something; based on need
• Press: any environmental factor influencing your needs (alpha press = real/objective environment, beta press = perceived/subjective environment)

Question 3

Henry Murray’s Theory of Needs

Answer 3

• Primary needs: based on biological demands, such as the need for oxygen, food, and water
• Secondary (“psychogenic”) needs: not always necessary for survival, but essential for psychological well-being
• • Ex. Ambition needs, needs to defend status (dominance), needs related to social power, social affection needs
• everyone has a higherarchy of needs -> some needs are stronger than others

Question 4

The Big 3 Motives

Answer 4

• Need for achievement
• Need for power
• Need for intimacy (warmth, closeness, communication)
• all these needs interact with each other to produce different outcomes

Question 5

Humanistic psychology

Answer 5

• Emphasizes conscious awareness of needs, choices, and personal responsibility
• Focus on growth instead of deficiency; human nature is positive
• Humans have a need for growth and for realizing one’s full potential

Question 6

Abraham Maslow

Answer 6

• American psychologist/professor
• Stressed importance of focusing on the positive qualities in people
• Main work: Hierarchy of Needs, self-actualization, peak experiences, psychology of religious experiences

Question 7

Hierarchy of needs (from bottom to top)

Answer 7

• bottom needs are most important, can be working towards many needs at same time (ie. self-actualizing, but still ensuring that other needs below them are met)
• Physiological needs (ex. Air, water, food, etc.)
• Safety needs (ex. Personal and financial security, safety, health, etc.)
• Belongingness/Love needs (ex. Sense of belonging, acceptance in social groups)
• Esteem needs (ex. Self-esteem, self-respect, feeling valued and recognized)
• Self-actualization needs (ex. Drive towards creativity, realization of full potential, becoming true self)
• • Contains “Aesthetic Needs” (appreciation and search for beauty, balance, etc.) and “Cognitive needs” (knowledge, meaning, self-awareness, etc.)
• Self-transcendence needs (helping others self-actualize)

Question 8

Hierarchy of Needs in collectivistic cultures (from bottom to top)

Answer 8

• Belonging Needs
• Physiological Needs
• Safety Needs
• Self-Actualization Needs

Question 9

Self-actualization

Answer 9

• According to Maslow, this is the final level of psychological development; achieved only when all basic and mental needs are fulfilled and full potential dominates the individual
• Living life according to one’s true self
• What’s the alternative?
• • One possibility: “false self” (other people’s expectations can override original sense of self)
• • Narcissism serves as defensive armor

Question 10

Key characteristics of self-actualizers

Answer 10

• Efficient perception of reality (accurate understanding of the world and your own behaviour)
• Affinity for solitude/autonomy
• Genuine desire to help human race
• Democratic ideals (not prejudiced, don’t hold negative stereotypes about groups)
• Creativity (fresh perspective, can see new connections among things)

Question 11

Peak Experiences

Answer 11

• a kind of transpersonal and ecstatic state, characterized by feelings of euphoria, harmonization, deep meaning, and interconnectedness
• Individuals describe these experiences, and their associated revelations, as possessing a mystical and spiritual (or overtly religious) quality or essence
• Tied to concept of flow

Question 12

core beliefs of motivational psychologists

Answer 12

• people differ in the type and strength of their motives
• these differences are measurable
• differences cause different life outcomes
• differences in motives amongst people remain fairly stable overtime
• motives may provide one answer to the question “why do people do what they do?”

Question 13

Thematic Apperception Test

Answer 13

• Developed by Henry Murray
• measures apperception (interpreting the environment and figuring out what is going on in the situation)
• participants given ambiguous images and have to make up a story about what is happening
• interpretations are coded for themes that reveal aspects about the person’s personality

Question 14

state levels vs. trait levels of a need

Answer 14

• state levels: refer to a person’s momentary amount of specific need (ex. a batter who has just had 2 strikes might experience sharp increased in achievement motivation)
• trait levels: refer to a person’s average tendency of a specific trait (most useful in determining individual differences)

Question 15

Multi-Motive Grid

Answer 15

• combines features of TAT with self-report questionnaires

- uses photos that arouse one of the Big 3 motives, then have participants answer questions

Question 16

Differences between TAT and MMG/questionnaire measures of motives

Answer 16

• measure different types of motivation:
• • implicit motivation: measured by TAT; the stories people are telling reveal things about their motives unconsciously; better predictors of long-term success
• • explicit/self-attributed motivation: reflects a person’s conscious awareness of their motives; measured by questionnaires; better predictors of success in short-term, specific situations

Question 17

Need for Achievement

Answer 17

• Want growth, success, competence
• Prefer moderately challenging tasks where they are accountable and can receive feedback
• More drawn to careers with risk/uncertainty
• This need is less valued in collectivist culture
• Differences between men and women:
• • life outcomes (ie. nAch manifests differently if women have strong desire for family - ie. more effort in physical appearance; or strong desire for career - ie. higher grades in uni)
• • childhood experience (ie. women high in nAch experience more stressful/difficult early lives)
• studies show that women high in nAch are less likely to want to compete directly with people (pick individual over tournament game setting)

Question 18

Practices to promote Achievement Motivation in children

Answer 18

• Independence training: parents behaving in ways that promote autonomy in their children (ex. strict toilet training early in life)
• Setting challenging standards: providing children with challenging expectations that fall within the child’s capabilities (if it’s too hard, child will give up)
• engaging in parenting practices that promote secure attachment

Question 19

intrinsic vs. extrinsic behaviours

Answer 19

• intrinsic: behaviours done largely based on the inherent satisfactions associated with them (ie. enjoyment); not contingent on external rewards/responses
• • stronger predictor of success and positive psychological outcomes
• extrinsic: behaviours performed based on some kind of contingency in the environment (ie. reward); usually based on expected social responses

Question 20

impact of Canadian acculturation on intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation

Answer 20

• studied Indian teens who had immigrated to Canada (going from collectivist to individualist culture)
• Indian-Canadian teens more intrinsically motivated than Indian counterparts (and have higher academic success)
• suggest that individualistic culture may promote more intrinsic motivation

Question 21

Need for Power

Answer 21

• having an impact on others; enjoy control
• correlates with arguing, riskier gambling, being assertive, joining student government, having “prestige possessions” like sports cars
• prefer dependent spouses and friends that don’t threaten their power
• sex differences: nPow men and women similar on all domains except impulsive/aggressive (“profilgate impulsive”) behaviours -> men higher -> more likely to have dissatisfying relationships, divorce, have more sex partners, abuse alcohol
• • reduced risk of this if individual has had responsibility training (ie. taking care of younger siblings) -> suggests that these behaviours may be related moreso to socialization than gender
• do not deal well with conflict, show strong stress responses (“power stress”), more vulnerable to disease

Question 22

wars, politics, and power

Answer 22

• study analyzing British parliament speeches showed wars more likely to be started when power imagery was high
• communication high in power images correlated with reduced likelihood of making concessions
• ideal politicians have balance of all 3 key motives

Question 23

research supporting Maslow’s hierarchy

Answer 23

• researchers presented participants with various goal’s in Maslow’s hierarchy, asked how they’d feel if they attained or didn’t attain them
• strongest negative reactions for thoughts of not attaining lower goals, strongest positive reactions for thoughts of attaining higher goals
• people can be happy regardless of what need they’re currently working on (self-actualizers aren’t necessarily happiest)

Question 24

Flow

Answer 24

• a moment of perfect match between one’s experiences/skills and needs/challenges
• person is in tune with present moment, lose track of what’s happening outside that moment
• functioning to your fullest capacity

Question 25

fully-functioning person

Answer 25

• Someone who is on their way to self-actualization
• Someone who is self-aware, in touch with their innermost feelings & desires; understands their emotions and trusts their instincts & urges
• open to new experiences, enjoy diversity and novelty, centered on the present (don’t dwell on past mistakes)

Question 26

conditions of worth and types of positive regard

Answer 26

• positive regard: inborn need to be loved and accepted
• conditions of worth: requirements set forth by parents or SO’s to earn positive regard (ie. get good grades); to many conditions cause people to lose touch with themselves because they only act in ways others want them to; become dependent and need constant approval
• conditional positive regard: PR earned by satisfying conditions of worth
• unconditional postive regard: PR and acceptance given with no strings attached, just because of who the person is; helps avoid negative consequences of too many conditions (ie. “I love you, but I don’t like the way you acted”) -> leads to positive self-regard (person accepts themself for who they are)

Question 27

anxiety according to Rogers

Answer 27

• having an experience that does not fit with one’s self-conception
• ex. when a person who got great grades in high school gets terrible grades on their first midterm in university
• may respond using the defense mechanism “distortion” (modifying the experience rather than their self-image to reduce the threat – ie. “that prof made the test unfair”)

Question 28

emotional intelligence

Answer 28

• ability to know your own emotions
• ability to regulate those emotions
• ability to motivate yourself
• ability to know how others are feeling
• ability to influence how others are feeling
• correlates with tendency to self-actualize; perhaps more important than IQ or education in this regard

Question 29

3 core conditions of Roger’s client-centered therapy

Answer 29

• genuine acceptance therapist has for client
• unconditional positive regard for client, regardless of what they say
• empathetic understanding (understanding someone else’s feelings from their point of view) -> reflecting back what person said so they themselves can examine it
• • empathy is more highly influenced by environment/teaching rather than genetics (women have higher initial levels of it, but men can be just as easily taught as women)

Question 30

Carl Rogers

Answer 30

• Co-founder of humanistic psychology; focused on ways to self-actualize
• Saw people as intrinsically good -> person-centered (or “client-centered”) approach
• Defined as a congruence between one’s self-concept and one’s ideal self
• Described the “Fully Functioning Person”

Question 31

Trump Case Study: Self-Actualization and Fully-Functioning Person

Answer 31

• Fully Functioning Person: Does trust instincts & urges, but lacks self-awareness
• Self-Actualization: lacks democratic ideals, lacks awareness of reality

Question 32

can you skip needs?

Answer 32

• 2 conditions in which needs may be skipped in order to pursue a higher-order need or self-actualization:
• • If one has previously met lower needs
• • If one believes they have the capacity to meet those lower needs
• Ex. Steve Jobs – pursued self-actualization even without safety needs (health issues) and sometimes without esteem needs (ie. When he got fired)

Question 33

goals

Answer 33

• observable and measurable end results that one wishes to achieve
• Arise from our needs; satisfy those needs when achieved

Question 34

aspiration index

Answer 34

• 2-dimensional circumplex of goals (instrinsic vs. extrinsic, physical self vs. self-transendence)
• In combination, describes 11 different goal domains (areas of goal focus)
• Goals next to each other are psychologically consistent
• Self-actualization & fully-functioning person are related to intrinsic & self-transcendence

Question 35

aspiration index: intrinsic vs. extrinsic & physical self vs. self-transendence

Answer 35

• Intrinsic (driven to satisfy needs, ex. community) vs. Extrinsic (driven by reward and praise, ex. popularity)
• Physical Self (self-enhancement, ex. physical safety) vs. Self-Transcendence (enhancement of others, ex. spirituality)

Question 36

goal orientation

Answer 36

• Mastery goal orientation (learning orientation): individuals seek to develop their competence or improve abilities
• Performance orientation (ego orientation): individuals seek to demonstrate their competence and/or avoid revealing their incompetence

Question 37

3 factors involved in explaining causes of events (explanatory style)

Answer 37

• Internal vs. External (locus of control) -> do you blame yourself or the world?
• Stable vs. Unstable -> temporary or consistent over time?
• Global vs. Specific -> pervasive or applies to this event only?
• Worse outcomes associated with external, stable, and global styles combined (pessimistic explanatory style)

Question 38

Existential Anxiety/Angst

Answer 38

• Existence in modern society is difficult because the world seems to have no overarching purpose
• 2 questions you most need to know:
• • Why am I here?
• • What should I be doing?
• Failure to come up with answers to these questions results in existential anxiety or angst

Question 39

Dealing with angst

Answer 39

• can face unpleasant questions OR avoid problems alotgether (living “in bad faith”)
• • advance social status, do what society says is conventionally appropriate, etc.

Question 40

authentic existence

Answer 40

• Authenticity: living according to your “true self”
• Living a life that is honest, insightful, and moral
• Achieving meaning and sense of purpose
• awareness of your strengths, weaknesses, and motives; actions reflect true values and beliefs; unbiased processing; authentic relationships
• We need to pursue meaning, not happiness , to live authentically

Question 41

research: authenticity is related to…

Answer 41

• High extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience
• High honesty-humility
• Organized functioning and health
• Better health and well-being at work (in terms of context-specific authenticity)

Question 42

Barriers/challenges to authenticity

Answer 42

• Pressure from others
• Conforming to social norms re: gender, sexuality, etc.
• Having “multiple selves” on social media
• Being part of certain stigmatized groups (ie. LGBTQ+ community, certain races/ethnicities, ex-criminals, etc.)