Why We Do What We Do Ch. 9

Question 1

motivational quality of the American Dream

Answer 1

The American Dream’s emphasis on materialism is a potent motivator but it comes with pervasive negative consequences

Question 1

2 types of life aspirations

Answer 1

intrinsic & extrinsic aspirations

Question 2

intrinsic aspirations

Answer 2

desired outcomes provide their own reward and help satisfy people’s innate needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness

Question 3

extrinsic aspirations

Answer 3

desired outcomes are means to an end

Question 4

what types of aspirations is the American Dream made of?

Answer 4

extrinsic aspirations

Question 5

Kasser and Ryan type of aspirations and mental health study

Answer 5

had individuals assess the importance of various life aspirations and indexed the degree to which their aspirations for one of the goals was out of balance with the others. They found that if any of the three extrinsic aspirations (money, fame, and beauty) were very high for an individual relative to the three intrinsic aspirations, the individual was more likely to display poor mental health. In contrast, strong intrinsic aspirations were positively associated with well-being

Question 6

Kasser and Ryan strength of aspirations and mental health study

Answer 6

asked respondents to report their beliefs about how likely it was that they would achieve each of the extrinsic and intrinsic goals. They found that even if respondents thought the chances of achieving extrinsic goals were excellent, they still displayed poor mental health

Question 7

Kasser and Ryan aspirations and mental health studies takeaway

Answer 7

it is more about the types of aspirations people hold strongly than their expectations about achieving them

Question 8

extrinsic aspirations and sense of self

Answer 8

Strong extrinsic aspirations represent a false sense of self

Question 9

Kasser at al. parenting and developing aspirations

Answer 9

used data collected from mothers and their children over 14 years. They found that 18-year-olds who had placed undue weight on extrinsic aspirations had mothers who had been controlling rather than autonomy-supportive

Question 10

human need

Answer 10

an organismic condition, whether physiological or psychological, that must be ongoingly satisfied for people to remain healthy and that will result in dysfunction if it is not

Question 11

for societies to function effectively ___

Answer 11

its members must adopt the society’s values and norms. If the values that society offers individuals are incompatible with their fundamental human needs, the internalization process can go awry

Question 12

for a person to function effectively ____

Answer 12

their values and accompanying motivation must be integrated

Question 13

salient extrinsic values is evidence of ___

Answer 13

a lack of integration of these values

Question 14

does society facilitate the development of intrinsic aspirations?

Answer 14

no, society is an obstacle to prompting a balance in the values of children

Question 15

American society is characterized by ___

Answer 15

individualism

Question 16

individualism vs. autonomy

Answer 16

• Individualism: acting to achieve and acquire something for yourself
• Autonomy: acting volitionally with a sense of choice, flexibility, and personal freedom

Question 17

can individualism be autonomous?

Answer 17

only when accompanied by self-knowledge

Question 18

self-knowledge

Answer 18

involves a relaxed attention to one’s inner processes

Question 19

is individualism more likely to coexist with control or autonomy?

Answer 19

control