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 study more 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 worth the 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 right relationship for me. It’s hard to describe what’s wrong. It’s not anything about him, exactly, but it’s like the relationship isn’t working anymore. I don’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

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 American intellectual who pioneered the use of electronic media…to take reading—a decidedly non- technological and individual act—and uses it in such a way to motivate millions of erstwhile non-readers to pick up books.” —Karen Rooney, author

Murray’s system of needs “Well, you can’t be like Mother Teresa and run a huge company like that…You can’t be one of those smiley faces all over the place when you are this busy. I don’t know of any successful businesswoman who has 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)

 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

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. You take small steps instead of having a goal that’s so far out that it starts to seem unachievable.” —Michael Johnson

Differences in specific needs easy task medium taskdifficult task low need for achievement low need for achievement high need for achievement

Differences in specific needs findings (Trope, 1975): lowhigh achievement need number of items chosen high diagnostic 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)“Friends” (1994 – 2004) 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“Grey’s Anatomy”: Denny’s dead, Izzie’s a mess 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