needs & motives: lecture #2 topics start your freud readings! basic theoretical elements ...
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Needs & Motives:Lecture #2 topics
start your Freud readings!
basic theoretical elements needs, motives, press
Murray’s System of Needs
measuring motives: the TAT
individual differences in specific needs
other determinants of behaviour
Needs & motives
I’m in the pre-med programme here, and I really want to get into a good medical school. The courses aren’t that easy for me, so I have to studymore than some other people. I can’t even take time off on weekends because I’m taking an extra heavy course load. I don’t mind, though,because I’m really motivated to go to med school, and that makes it worththe effort.
I’ve been going out with my boyfriend for over two years now. I care for him a lot, really I do. But lately I’ve been wondering if this is really the rightrelationship for me. It’s hard to describe what’s wrong. It’s not anythingabout him, exactly, but it’s like the relationship isn’t working anymore. Idon’t know how else to put it.
Basic theoretical elements
need:
state of tension that directs us to seek out objects/ situations
primary: biological needs (e.g., needs for food, water, sex) secondary (psychogenic): psychological needs (e.g., needs for
power, achievement)
organizes perceptions & actions
basic assumptions:
strength of need influences: intensity of related behaviours your priorities
needs are directive
needs cause approach/ avoidance behaviours
Basic theoretical elements
Basic theoretical elements
motive:
internal state that directs behaviour toward specific objects/ goals
translate underlying need into thoughts & feelings that finally drive you to act
Basic theoretical elements
behaviours:go to the store,
buy food,bring it home,
cook it
deficit:have not
eaten today
need:for food
motive:hunger
thoughts:thinking about food,
fantasizing about food, misperceiving
objects for food
Basic theoretical elements
press:
external condition that creates a desire to approach/ avoid something
applies to both primary and psychogenic motives
Basic theoretical elements
for freedomconfinement
to be nurturantfriendships
for predictabilityinconsistent discipline
for revengebetrayal of trust
to be comfortedfamily conflict
to make friendslack of companionship
resulting motive:press
Murray’s system of needs
understanding
affiliation
dominance
achievement
associated need:
questioning, analysing, thinking
exchanging information
spending time with, pleasing others; loyalty
social affection
influencing, controlling others
defending status
accomplishing difficult tasks
ambition
resulting behaviour:general domain:
Murray’s system of needs
…agreeableness, friendlinesstraits
…spending time with peopleactions
…warmth, cheerfulnessemotions
…to be close to othersdesires
e.g., need for affiliation:needs are related to specific:
Murray’s system of needs
within the person:
we have unique hierarchy of needs each need exists at different intensities
our needs interact with each other types of needs intensity of needs = PERSONALITY
Murray’s system of needs
“[Oprah] is the top alpha female
in this country. She has more
credibility than the president.
Other successful women…had to
be publicly slapped down before
they could move forward. Even
[Condoleeza Rice] had to play
the protégé with Bush. None of
this happened to Oprah—she is
a straight ahead success story.”
—Maureen O’Dowd, NY Times
Murray’s system of needs
“[Oprah] is a serious Americanintellectual who pioneered theuse of electronic media…to
takereading—a decidedly non-technological and individual act—and uses it in such a wayto motivate millions of erstwhilenon-readers to pick up books.”
—Karen Rooney, author
Murray’s system of needs
“Well, you can’t be like MotherTeresa and run a huge company like that…You can’tbe one of those smiley faces allover the place when you arethis busy. I don’t know of anysuccessful businesswoman whohas this smiley-little-thing-in-lace image.”
—anonymous friend
Murray’s system of needs
“People are more than happy
to see her end up as a
whiffle ball for New York
media to swat around.”
—anonymous publishing
executive
Murray’s system of needs
between people:
we differ in the type & strength of each need/ motive
these differences are stable & measurable
needs/ motives can operate outside consciousness, but affect overt behaviour
manifest needs:
seen in observable behaviour easy to measure
latent needs:
not seen in overt actions less easy to measure
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
What is happening in this picture?
What is the relationship between the 2 women?
What are they thinking & feeling?
How does this story end?
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
apperception:
we project imagery related to our needs/ motives onto external stimuli basis for TAT
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
need for food:
depriving people of food for different lengths of time caused differences in food-related imagery on TAT
need for achievement:
failure vs. success feedback caused differences in achievement-related imagery on TAT
TAT & self-report motives scales
TAT & self-report scales are weakly correlated …do they measure 2 different things?
implicit motives: unconscious motives concerned with feelings related to motives predict broad behavioural tendencies measured by TAT responses
explicit motives: controllable, conscious motives concerned with specific actions related to motives measured by self-report scales
TAT & self-report motives scales
procedure (Woike, 1995):
completed TAT & self-report questionnaire kept 2-month journal of memorable events journals then coded for different motives & emotions
findings:
TAT responses → emotions self-report responses → specific events
need for achievement:
desire to do things well, overcome obstacles TAT imagery: reaching goals, +ve feelings about success e.g., Olympic athletes
Differences in specific needs
Differences in specific needs
Michael Johnson:
won 200 m, 400 m, 4 400 m relay at 1996 Atlanta Games
set WRs in these events first man to win 200 m &
400 m in one Olympic Games
Differences in specific needs
Johnson running the 200 m at the 1996 Atlanta Games
Differences in specific needs
“What I did was each year, I had a goal. You know, ultimately, I did achieve a lot more than I first set out to do but I took some really small steps along the way. When you want to be ranked Number 1 in the world, when you want to be an Olympic gold medallist, and when you want to make history, you’re really carefully setting your goals along the way. Youtake small steps instead of having a goal that’s so far out that it starts toseem unachievable.”
—Michael Johnson
Differences in specific needs
easy task medium task difficult task
low need forachievement
low need forachievement
high need forachievement
Differences in specific needs
findings (Trope, 1975):
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
low high
achievement need
nu
mb
er o
f it
ems
cho
sen
highdiagnostic
low diagnostic
Differences in specific needs
need for power:
desire to have impact on others, prestige TAT imagery: evocation of emotion from others, concerns about
status
high need for power people: seek out positions of authority are energized by leadership challenges like symbols of power (e.g., credit cars, luxury items)
Differences in specific needs
Donald Trump:
American real estate developer
known for personal exploits & TV show, “The Apprentice”
estimated net worth: $2.9 billion
Differences in specific needs
Rosie O'Donnell on "The View"
Donald Trump's Response
Differences in specific needs
“Both Rosie and Donald are
high-spirited, opinionated
people. Donald has been a
friend of ‘The View’ for
many years and Rosie, of
course, is our enormously
popular moderator. We
cherish them both and hope
the new year brings calm
and peace.”
—Barbara Walters
need for affilation:
desire to spend time with other people, to be in social relationships TAT imagery: concerns about being accepted, active attempts to
establish +ve interpersonal relations
e.g., “Friends” (1994 – 2004)
Differences in specific needs
Differences in specific needs
high need for affiliation people:
go along with the group prefer warm interaction partners initiate contacts & friendships are actively engaged in social activities
need for intimacy:
desire to feel closeness and to experience warm exchanges with a person TAT imagery: closeness, open sharing with another person
e.g., “Grey’s Anatomy”: Denny’s dead, Izzie’s a mess
Differences in specific needs
Differences in specific needs
high need for intimacy people:
have more one-on-one exchanges engage in more self-disclosure do more listening & make more eye contact don’t try to dominate the social scene