 So far we have talked about motivations behind
simple human behaviors like eating and sex.
What motivates us to do the more complicated
behaviors, like studying for the AP test?
 What motivates us to work hard in school, in
video games, sports, and all those day to day
things that take up our day??...
We call this type of motivation
Achievement Motivation
-A desire for significant accomplishments with
high standards of excellence
Some people have high levels of achievement
motivation and some have low levels
Motive for Success
• People who have
•
LOW need for
achievement prefer
very easy tasks.
•Failure is not
embarrassing.
People with HIGH need
for achievement
prefer moderately
difficult tasks.
•Success is important.
Why are some people highly motivated,
while others are not?
•May be set in place by early in life by parents
and teachers.
•Children may learn to associate achievement
with expectations (intrinsic or extrinsic).
Strong argument for what playing a
part in achievement motivation?
Nurture
Achievement Motivation
and
Motivating People to Perform
Psychologists often study the
work world and school
environment to look at how we
can use AM to increase
performance in school and the
workplace
Industrial and Organizational Psychology
• Field of Psychology that helps companies
increase productivity
The psychologist will look at managers, etc. to see
how they treat the people under them.
 The managers are then placed into one of two
different motivational styles
 Theory X or Theory Y
Theory X
• Assumes that students and
workers are basically lazy,
error-prone and must
never be trusted
•To work more, they must be given
money or rewards
• Extrinsically motivated
Theory Y
• Assumes that students and
workers are motivated
intrinsically
• Must be given freedom and
autonomy
Which would you rather work for?
• Organizations are moving to
Theory Y style and hiring
organizational psychologists to
help promote intrinsic
motivation in the workplace
Final thoughts on Motivation
• What happens when motives conflict?
• Sometimes what you want to do in a
situation is clear to you, but at other
times you no doubt find yourself
conflicted about what choice to make.
• Psychologists discuss four types of
motivational conflicts.
Approach – Approach Conflict
 Occurs
when you must choose between two
desirable outcomes.
 On Friday night, should you go to the
movies with your best friend or to dinner
with that really cute guy/girl from history
class.
 Assuming both choices appeal to you, you
have a conflict because you can only chose
one
Avoidance – Avoidance
Conflict
 Occurs when you must choose between
two unattractive outcomes
 If your parents tell you to clean your
room or to rake leaves and you desire
neither one you are experiencing an
avoidance-avoidance conflict.
 “Damned if you do and damned if you
don’t”
Approach – Avoidance
Conflict
• Exists when ONE event or goal has
both attractive and unattractive
features
• Let’s say that you love Taco Bell
but the beans give you gas.
• Taco Bell has both attractive
(tastes goood) and unattractive
(bad gas) features
Multiple Approach-Avoidance Conflicts




Here you must choose between two or more
things, each of which as both desirable and
undesirable features.
The best example is choosing a college that you
want to go to.
Obviously you are deciding between JMU and VT.
JMU has better parties and food (attractive),
but their parking is bad (unattractive). VT has a
good ROTC (attractive), but ugly colors, bad
football team and bad parties. (unattractive)

Brian hates studying but he doesn’t want to face
his parents if he flunks


Tina cant decide which of her two favorite courses
to study first – Psychology or English


Approach-Avoidance
Rosalie wants to be more assertive about her own
beliefs with her boyfriend but is afraid of losing
him.


Approach-Approach
Sharon loves rich high-calorie desserts but doesn’t
want to put on weight.


Avoidance-Avoidance
Approach-Avoidance
Tim doesn’t want to be dropped from the football team, but
he doesn’t want to give up smoking either.

Avoidance-Avoidance
Intrinsic Motivation
• A desire to perform a behavior for its own
sake.
• To get enjoyment or satisfaction
Extrinsic Motivation
• A desire to
perform a
behavior due to
promised rewards
or threats of
punishment.