Lecture 11 - The Big Three Motives - October 10

Question 1

what are The Three Levels of Personality

Answer 1

traits
personal concerns
life narrative

Question 2

what can personal concerns be broken down into

Answer 2

Big 3 Motives;
Attachment Styles;
Self-regulatory Style;
Developmental Stages

Question 3

define personal concerns

Answer 3

More particular aspects of personality that describe personal adaptations to motivational and developmental challenges and tasks

Question 4

define Life Narrative

Answer 4

Internalized and evolving narratives of the self that people construct to integrate the past, present and future and provide life with a sense of meaning and purpose

Question 5

what are Motives

Answer 5

Something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing, etc.

The goal of a person’s actions.

Relatively enduring preferences for a broad
class of affectively charged incentives, such as 
having impact or doing things better.

Question 6

How to assess motives?

Answer 6

showing an ambiguous pic with a beginning middle and end, for about 5 minutes and this story reveals what the individuals motivational concerns are.

Question 7

what are the big three motives

Answer 7

n Achievement
n Power
n Intimacy (can also be called into n affiliation)def

Question 8

define n Achievement

Answer 8

• a recurrent preference for experiences of doing well and being successful.

Question 9

define n Power -

Answer 9

a recurrent preference experiences of having impact on others

Question 10

define n Intimacy -

Answer 10

a recurrent preference for experiences of warm, close, and communicative interactions with others.

Question 11

define n Affiliation –

Answer 11

a recurrent preference for establishing, maintaining, or restoring positive affective relationships.

Question 12

which is more often used

n intimacy or n affiliation

Answer 12

n intimacy

because n affiliation had a negative quality

Question 13

are the three motives dependent on eachother

Answer 13

no, mostly independent

Question 14

what did Henry Murray (guy who created the picture story test) think the stories showed

Answer 14

basically thought they were an X-ray into a person’s life, he thought it revelieve so much about them
probably not EVRYTHING but at least the big 3 traits

Question 15

How are the scores processed? (for the picture story tests)

Answer 15

Empirically derived 
Objective coding system – expert coders
Number of stories
Word Length
Normal distribution
T-scores

Question 16

Validity Evidence of nAch: high in this you will be aroused by what

Answer 16

if high in this, you are aroused by moderate challenge, personal responsibility ,
extensive feedback

Question 17

Validity Evidence of nPow: high in this you will be aroused by what

Answer 17

if high in this, you are aroused by exerting influence and being noticed

Question 18

Validity Evidence of nInt: high in this you will be aroused by what

Answer 18

if high in this, you are aroused by conversing with people in warm, reciprocal manner

Question 19

does each predict school success

Answer 19

no because the school environment does not really offer “moderate challenge, personal responsibility ,
extensive feedback”

Question 20

Occupational Preferences for nAch

Answer 20

small business owner
research scientists
sales people

Question 21

Occupational Preferences for nPow

Answer 21

manager

clergy

Question 22

Occupational Preferences for nInt

Answer 22

counsellor

mediator

Question 23

is there a relationship between the three motives

Answer 23

negative between power and intimacy but everything else is independent

Question 24

can you be high on more than one motive

Answer 24

yep– two

Question 25

what happens when someone is high on power and achievement

Answer 25

empire builders (oprah. martha stewart)

Question 26

what are the interpersonal relations for people high in nInt

Answer 26

dyadic interactions w close friends

Question 27

what are the interpersonal relations for people high in nPow

Answer 27

agentic, assertive style in relations

leading the group

Question 28

what are the interpersonal relations for people high in nAch

Answer 28

shared activities that are goal oriented

organize activities that are not too competitive

Question 29

Why these Three Big Motives?

Answer 29

Can be identified in young children.

Can be seen in all cultures.

Can be linked with a natural incentive.

Question 30

what is the incentive with nAch

Answer 30

mastery

Question 31

what is the incentive with nPow

Answer 31

impact

Question 32

what is the incentive with nInt

Answer 32

connection

Question 33

what are the Big Questions re Motives

Answer 33

How do implicit motives relate to self-reported ones.
How do implicit motives relate to Big 5 traits.
How variable are motives across time and situations?
Can we change our motive profile?