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

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)

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

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

Other determinants of behaviour

incentive:

mental judgment of how relevant a behaviour is to satisfy a need

expectancy:

perceived probability of success