motives and personality

Question 1

What question do motivational psychologists ask?

Answer 1

“What do people want?”

Question 2

What two features do all major motivation theories share?

Answer 2

(1) Personality consists of a few general motives; (2) Motives operate mostly through mental processes, inside or outside awareness.

Question 3

What is a motive?

Answer 3

An internal state that arouses and directs behavior toward a goal, often caused by a deficit.

Question 4

How do motives differ from each other?

Answer 4

By type (e.g., hunger vs. thirst) and intensity (how strong the need is).

Question 5

What is the relation between needs and motives?

Answer 5

Deficits create needs, which create motives that drive behavior to satisfy the needs.

Question 6

Why do motives belong to the intrapsychic domain?

Answer 6

Because they involve internal psychological urges that can operate unconsciously.

Question 7

What psychological tool do motive psychologists often use?

Answer 7

Projective techniques like the TAT (Thematic Apperception Test).

Question 8

What are the five key assumptions motive psychologists share with dispositional psychologists?

Answer 8

People differ in type and strength of motives.

Motives are measurable.

Differences are linked to important life outcomes.

Motives are relatively stable over time.

Motives explain why people do what they do.

Question 9

Who developed the modern theory of human needs and met Carl Jung?

Answer 9

Henry Murray.

Question 10

How did Murray define a “need”?

Answer 10

A readiness to respond in a certain way under certain conditions; it organizes perception and action.

Question 11

According to Murray, what satisfies people: the tension or the reduction of tension?

Answer 11

The reduction of tension.

Question 12

Name three needs from Murray’s list.

Answer 12

Achievement, Affiliation, Dominance (others include nurturance, aggression, etc.).

Question 13

What is “press” in Murray’s theory?

Answer 13

Environmental factors that trigger needs (e.g., friendly people for affiliation needs).

Question 14

What is the difference between alpha press and beta press?

Answer 14

Alpha press = objective environment (what actually happens).

Beta press = perceived environment (how it is interpreted).

Question 15

What is apperception?

Answer 15

Interpreting the environment through the lens of personal needs and motives.

Question 16

What does the TAT assess?

Answer 16

Unconscious motives by analyzing stories about ambiguous pictures.

Question 17

What is the key difference between TAT and questionnaire measures of motives?

Answer 17

TAT measures implicit (unconscious) motives; questionnaires measure explicit (self-attributed) motives.

Question 18

What do TAT-assessed motives predict better than questionnaires?

Answer 18

Long-term life outcomes (e.g., business success).

Question 19

What do questionnaire-assessed motives predict better than TAT?

Answer 19

Short-term, conscious behavior and attitudes.

Question 20

Name the “Big Three” motives.

Answer 20

Achievement, Power, and Intimacy.

Question 21

What characterizes someone high in need for achievement (nAch)?

Answer 21

Prefers moderately challenging tasks, personal responsibility, and feedback.

Question 22

How can parents promote high achievement motivation?

Answer 22

By promoting independence, setting challenging but attainable goals, and rewarding effort.

Question 23

What is Carol Dweck’s key idea about intelligence and achievement?

Answer 23

Abilities are malleable and can be developed through effort.

Question 24

How is the need for achievement expressed differently in collectivist cultures?

Answer 24

Individual success is less valued; group success and helping others are prioritized.

Question 25

What is the need for power (nPow)?

Answer 25

A readiness or preference for having an impact on others.

Question 26

What behaviors are associated with high need for power in men?

Answer 26

Aggression, impulsivity, higher divorce rates, sexual exploitation, alcohol abuse.

Question 27

What reduces impulsive power behaviors?

Answer 27

Responsibility training (e.g., taking care of others).

Question 28

What health issues are linked to blocked power needs ("power stress")?

Answer 28

Illness, immune system suppression, high blood pressure, hypertension.

Question 29

What did Winter’s studies find about power imagery and war?

Answer 29

High power imagery in leaders' speeches predicts war onset; low power imagery predicts peace.

Question 30

What is the need for intimacy (nInt)?

Answer 30

A recurrent preference for warm, close, communicative interactions with others.

Question 31

What behaviors are typical of people high in need for intimacy?

Answer 31

Thinking about relationships, pleasant emotions around others, meaningful one-on-one conversations.

Question 32

How is intimacy different from extraversion?

Answer 32

Intimacy focuses on quality (deep connections); extraversion focuses on quantity (being sociable).

Question 33

Are there sex differences in intimacy needs?

Answer 33

Yes — women, on average, have a higher need for intimacy than men.

Question 34

What outcomes are associated with high need for intimacy?

Answer 34

Better overall adjustment, more happiness (especially for women), less stress (for men).

Question 35

How did Michael Johnson motivate himself before the 400m and 200m Olympic races?

Answer 35

400m: Listened to jazz (calm, strategic). 200m: Listened to gangsta rap (aggressive, “danger zone” mindset).

Question 36

What is the primary focus of motivational psychologists?

Answer 36

They ask 'What do people want?' and study desires or motives that drive behavior.

Question 37

How did Michael Johnson mentally prepare for the 200m and 400m races?

Answer 37

Jazz music and strategy for the 400m; gangsta rap and aggression for the 200m.

Question 38

What are motives and how do they differ from needs?

Answer 38

Motives are internal states that direct behavior; needs are states of tension that create motives.

Question 39

Why are motives part of the intrapsychic domain?

Answer 39

Because they involve internal, often unconscious processes that influence thought and behavior.

Question 40

What assessment tool did Murray and Morgan develop for studying motives?

Answer 40

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).

Question 41

What is the difference between implicit and explicit motives?

Answer 41

Implicit motives are unconscious (measured by TAT), while explicit motives are self-reported and conscious.

Question 42

What are Murray’s three Big Three motives?

Answer 42

Achievement, Power, Intimacy.

Question 43

How do people high in need for achievement (nAch) behave?

Answer 43

They prefer moderate challenges, take personal responsibility, and seek feedback.

Question 44

How can parents foster achievement motivation in children?

Answer 44

Through independence training and setting challenging but attainable goals.

Question 45

What is the need for power (nPow)?

Answer 45

A desire to influence or control others and gain recognition for this influence.

Question 46

How do men high in nPow typically behave?

Answer 46

They may be more aggressive, exploitative, and prone to alcohol abuse.

Question 47

What is power stress and how does it affect health?

Answer 47

Stress from blocked power goals; can weaken the immune system and raise blood pressure.

Question 48

What is the need for intimacy (nInt)?

Answer 48

A desire for warm, close, and communicative relationships.

Question 49

How do people high in nInt act?

Answer 49

They spend more time thinking about relationships, are expressive, and prefer deeper interactions.

Question 50

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 50

A model of motivation with five levels, from basic physiological needs to self-actualization.

Question 51

What is self-actualization?

Answer 51

The process of realizing one's full potential and becoming who one is meant to be.

Question 52

Name some characteristics of self-actualizers.

Answer 52

Realistic, accepting, spontaneous, problem-focused, creative, and capable of peak experiences.

Question 53

What is Rogers’ concept of the fully functioning person?

Answer 53

Someone open to experience, present-focused, self-trusting, and moving toward self-actualization.

Question 54

What are conditions of worth?

Answer 54

When positive regard is dependent on meeting certain expectations or standards.

Question 55

What are Carl Rogers’ three core conditions for therapy?

Answer 55

Genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathic understanding.