Personality Motives and Dynamics: what do people want?

1. Personality Motives and Dynamics: what do people want? Introductory Concepts Henry Murray Individual differences in needs Methods Problems and behavior change Motives and personality

2. Introductory concepts From the • “What” of personality - traits to the • “Why” of personality - motives leads to study of • Motivation: “Internal states that impel people to goal-directed action.”

3. Introductory concepts • Wanting something does not make it so! • Skills • Opportunities • Decisions where to put energy and time…affected by motives. • Expectancy-value theory: People’s choices are based on 1) probability that behavior will produce a specific outcome, and; 2) how much that outcome is worth to them. • B (or C) = E x V  Therapy

4. Introductory concepts • What are people’s motives? • Theorists differ on number of motives they propose and on focus: biology or learning, growth or release of tension, conscious or unconscious. • ASK

5. Major issues in motivation theory • Number: One, two, or many? • Source: Biology or learning? • Process: Release of tension, homeostasis, equilibrium or increase of tension, challenge-oriented. • Aim: To satisfy selfish desires or fulfill creative potential. • Consciousness: Aware of one’s own motives or not aware.

6. Terms • Need: A physical condition you don’t sense directly that creates a motivational state.  • Motive: “clusters of cognitions with affective overtones, organized around preferred actions or goals.” Readiness to approach or avoid. • Eventually reflected in actions.  • Press: External influences

8. Terms • Motives can be activated by press, and don’t always reflect a need! For example: • Other relationships • Babies • Someone getting a good job • Incentive: Degree to which an action can satisfy YOUR need. • Personalized weighting • Grad. school or job? • Determined how motive expressed

9. Murray’s system of needs • Murray: Developed a theory of personality organized around needs, press, and motives. • Catalog of needs (see handout). • Needs can be interrelated: Fuse (expressed in the same act), act in service of one another, and/or conflict.

10. Interrelated needs examples • Fuse: Sarah’s mother has a high need to nurture AND dominate. So she acts towards Sarah in a caring manner, but ignores her wishes & preferences. • In service of: A need for order serves the need for achievement. • Conflict: Autonomy need conflicts with intimacy need. • Press can service need: Surround self with challenging tasks if high need for achievement. NOW FOR THE TAT (10 minutes)

11. Motives review • From the “what” to the “why” of personality • Terms: Needs, Press, Motives, Incentives • Murray’s theory of personality • Catalog of needs • Assessment: Projective or self-report  • Specific needs (e.g. nAch) • Approach vs. avoidance conflict • Application to therapy • Integration with traits • Further application to behavior change

12. Measuring motives • TAT: Low internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Hard to score. • But, predicts behavioral tendencies. • Personality Research Form (PRF): Measures 20 of Murray’s needs and creates profile. • Self-report correlates poorly with TAT. • TAT measures implicit motives. • At the heart (doing better/being strong/being close) • Self-report measures self-attributed motives. • eg. reported goals

13. Example • TAT(measures implicit motives): Achievement, long-term involvement, & unique scholarship. Vs. • Self-report measure: Goals for this year.

14. Measuring Motives • Tricky to measure? • Manifest needs: Seen in visible actions. • e.g. to love & nurture a child • Come to class • Latent needs: Are not displayed. • To dominate • High academic expectations • The Thematic Apperception Test: Measures latent needs. • Apperception: Project imagery onto outside. • Stories reflect motivational concerns.

15. Individual differences in specific needs • Need for achievement: The desire to do something well & to feel pleasure at overcoming obstacles. • People low in nAch choose very hard or easy tasks. Why? • People high in nAch choose tasks of moderate difficulty. • Challenging but realistic goals. • Work harder on tasks of moderate difficulty. • Desire information about abilities.

16. Achievement need • High nAch relates to persistence in face of failure and grades in school. • What about test anxiety • McClelland: Looked at 23 cultures and coded achievement imagery from children’s books. Found a moderately strong association with economic growth. • Can a high nAch backfire?

17. nAch: complexity of expression • Women: According to a 1983 study, family-oriented women invest energy in activities leading to marriage and family. Career-oriented women delay marriage and family. • Achievement needs predict women’s career persistence across 14 years. What do you value as an achievement goal? Determines your incentives.

18. What about the old approach and avoidance problem?

19. Approach vs. Avoidance • Divergent motives can underlie achievement behavior. Or, you can avoid failing by succeeding!) How does this affect school experience? • Motive to succeed in mastering course material (approach) related to “thoughtful elaboration” study strategies. The avoidance motive led to memorization strategies and problems organizing study time. (What about desire to be with others or avoidance of being alone? How will this affect behavior, feelings, & relationships?)

20. Approach vs. Avoidance • (Frank & Brandstatter, 2002): commitment based on approach predicts greater relationship satisfaction. Commitment based on avoidance predicts lower satisfaction. • …to avoid breaking up. (Do people’s actions differ depending on the approach or avoidance motive, for all Murray’s needs? Do their feelings differ?)

21. Need for Power • Power need: Motive to have impact on other people, to have prestige, and to feel strong. • Seek out authority • Officeholders in student organizations • Enhances organizational effectiveness • Surround self with power symbols • Affects friendship patterns

22. Need for Power • Winter (1988): Motive manifested differently depending on socialization. • “conscientious pursuit of prestige” or • “profilgate, impulsive power”

23. Need for Affiliation • Affiliation need: Motive to spend time with others. • Concerned about being liked. • Initiate friendships/social participation. • Concede in negotiations. • Well-adjusted husband and wives have correlated affiliation needs.

24. Need for Intimacy: Not on Murray’s list • Intimacy need (McAdams): Desire warm, close, communicative exchanges. Research findings: • Greater marital & job satisfaction (men) • Greater happiness and gratification (women, unless living alone) What about conflicting needs? • People high in power need and affiliation need are poorly adjusted.

25. Application to therapy • The humanistic tradition: Emphasizes awareness of needs, choices, and responsibility. • Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Lower need must be satisfied before higher needs. • Identified characteristics of self-actualizing people.

26. Putting it together • Motives and the five factor model: • Motive model: Personality is a system of multiple needs. • Trait model: Personality is a system of traits. • Murray’s list of needs may something similar to 5 factors. • Traits may represent patterns of incentive preferences! • Traits channel how our desires (motives) are expressed. • Example is introversion

27. Putting it together • People may often be unaware of the motives behind their problem behaviors. • May reflect poorly channeled needs. • Example: Alcohol use may lead to feelings of power (McClelland). Encourage other ways to meet need, rather than just treating symptom. • Perhaps measuring traits and motives is a good approach.

28. SUMMARY • Needs & motives: Fundamental desires • Traits: Determines pattern of incentive preferences, or perhaps how motives are expressed. • Interaction, e.g. intimacy • Values: Determine choices within domain of action • Now, what about expectancies, or coping skills? On to cognition!