Textbook Chapter 8 Flashcards
trait approach has become so entrenched in personality research today that, for many psychologists…
personality research is SYNONYMOUS with measuring and examining traits
using trait measures has become part of the arsenal for experimenters
5 areas of research that illustrate the breadth and depth of the trait approach
- achievement and achievement motivation
- Type A behaviour pattern and measures of hostility
- social anxiety/shyness
- individual differences in emotions
- optimism and pessimism
Murray’s need for achievement
desire to “accomplish something difficult; to master, manipulate or organize…to overcome obstacles and attain a high standard; to excel one’s self”
how do people assess the need for achievement?
using the TAT
test takers CREATE STORIES about scenes they see in TAT cards
investigators then use objective coding systems to obtain a need for achievement score from the stories
TAT test for need for achievement
time consuming
subject to Qs about the interpretation of scores
so now, investigators often rely on easier-to-administer self report inventories to assess achievement motivation
fact that scores for achievement motivation are different between TAT and self report scales has led to what?
led to suggestion that there are 2 kinds of achievement motivation
- IMPLICIT motive (assessed by TAT)
^ come into play in spontaneous actions
- SELF-ATTRIBUTED/EXPLICIT motive (we can readily describe)
^ come into play when we have time to ponder achievement options and decisions
early investigators discovered that people with a need for achievement don’t always fit…
the stereotypes for a highly successful business person
ie. one prominent feature of high need achievers is that they’re MODERATE risk takers (not high risk takers)
^ highly motivated to succeed, but also to AVOID FAILURE
desire to achieve doesn’t mean they ignore the possibility of failure
what kind of jobs are attractive to high need achievers?
routine/boring jobs hold no more interest for high need achievers than they do for anyone else
- jobs that require CREATIVITY and provide OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT THEY CAN DO are very appealing
- prefer jobs that give them PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for OUTCOMES
^ want concrete feedback about their performance
explanation for why high need achievers often end up in the business world
because of their need for personal responsibility for outcomes and their need for feedback
in business, sales, productivity and profit figures provide CONSTANT PERFORMANCE BAROMETERS
can parents promote high achievement motivation?
- promote achievement motivation by providing SUPPORT and ENCOURAGEMENT long enough to enable child to develop sense of PERSONAL COMPETENCE
^ as long as child isn’t robbed of independence and initiative
about finding FINE LINE between too much PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT and not enough
two edged sword of high need for achievement
- more likely to find economic prosperity
- can also INTERFERE WITH EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE
^ delegating authority and managing others is important to success
^ someone too concerned with their own effective performance might struggle to relinquish control and rely on subordinates
much early achievement work was conducted only with…
male participants
later found that need for achievement predicts SUCCESS in the business world for BOTH GENDERS
although success in business world is predicted by high need achievement for both genders…
studies suggest that MANY OTHER VARIABLES come into play when comparing the achievement behaviour of men and women
- men and women THINK ABOUT ACHIEVEMENT DIFFERENTLY
^ differ on kinds of achievement they value and where achievement in the business world lies in relation to their personal goals
- differ in way they DEFINE SUCCESS
example of how men and women see achievement differently
ie. businesswoman might value achievement, but occasionally might put other concerns (like customer welfare or family) above work achievement
how do women and men differ in the way they define success
WOMEN: more likely to rely on INTERNAL definitions of success
^ ie. if they accomplished what they set out to do
MEN: more likely to see success in terms of EXTERNAL STANDARDS
^ gaining prestige or recognition for accomplishments
achievement behaviour in diff cultures
INDIVIDUALISTIC: achievement is defined in terms of PERSONAL accomplishments
- see themselves in COMPETITION with coworkers
COLLECTIVIST: success is defined in terms of COOPERATION and GROUP ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- individual recognition is not sought or needed
- motivated to HELP COWORKERS succeed
attributions and achievement
many psychologists = interested in EXPLANATIONS people generate for WHY they do WELL or POORLY in achievement situations
the answer determines how:
1. we FEEL about the performance
2. we PERFORM in similar situations in the FUTURE
3 dimensions of attribution
- stability
- locus
- control
stability dimension of attributions
STABLE OR UNSTABLE
stable: good coordination, poor math attitude
unstable: good luck, illness (a cold)
locus dimension of attributions
INTERNAL or EXTERNAL
internal: extra effort, poor skills
external: easy test, difficult competition
control dimension of attributions
CONTROLLABLE or INCONTROLLABLE
controllable: high motivation, not enough practice
incontrollable: from wealthy family, weak national economy
by examining attributions along the 3 dimensions, what can researcher do?
PREDICT how people RESPOND to successes or failures
ie. enhanced sense of well-being if reason for success attributed as internal
ie. winning tennis when opponent had sun in their eyes won’t feel that great (external attribution)
how person responds to future events often…
depends on PERCEIVED STABILITY of the cause of the performance
ie. if you attribute a loss to UNSTABLE BAD LUCK, you’ll prob keep playing the sport - explains why people continue to do sports despite losing
most of us attribute our losses to…
UNSTABLE SOURCES
keeps our hope of winning next time alive