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Affiliation & Achievement

Module 4.7b

LEARNING TARGETS:

  • Identify the evidence that points to our human affiliation need – need to belong.
  • Explain how social networking influences us.
  • Describe Achievement Motivation, & identify some ways to encourage achievement.

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Affiliation Need

  • The Need to Belong
  • Belonging and having attachments to others boosts our chances at survival – Evolutionary Theory
  • Social Identity – feeling a part of a group (Us vs Them) boosts health & self-esteem
  • A large part of people’s self ratings of happiness seem to be determined by having satisfying relationships.

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Competence

  • Competence motivation—behavior aimed at demonstrating competence and exerting control in a situation
    • Motivated to prove to yourself that you can do a challenging task.
    • Competence = Confidence in yourself
    • Example: Running a marathon

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Autonomy

  • A sense of personal control
  • Feeling of being in control of one’s own actions and making choices that align with personal values and interests rather than being pressured by external forces.

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Relatedness

  • Our need to feel connected to others.
  • Psychological need to feel connected, valued, and understood by others.
  • It involves forming meaningful relationships and feeling a sense of belonging in social groups.

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Intrinsic Motivation

  • A desire to perform a behavior because it is inherently meaningful or satisfying.
  • Enhances our feelings of competence, autonomy & relatedness.
  • What things are you intrinsically motivated to do?

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Extrinsic Motivation

  • A desire to perform a behavior because of promised rewards or threats of punishment
    • I do the activity for a good consequence.
  • Undermines our sense of competence, autonomy, & relatedness.
  • Takes away the intrinsic enjoyment you had for the task.
  • Works well for tasks that people don’t find naturally complex or creative. Better to use as a way to signal “job well done”
  • What things are you extrinsically motivated to do?

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Ostracism

  • Social Exclusion
  • Threatens one’s need to belong.
  • Increases activity in the pain areas of the brain (anterior, cingulate cortex)
  • Social rejection hurts worse in Individualistic cultures because no other social support networks to fall back on.
  • People that are ostracized become disagreeable, uncooperative, & hostile which only makes them more ostracized.

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Social Networking

  • Early studies indicate that high social media usage makes people feel that others’ social lives are more active than their own
  • High usage associated with higher risks for depression, self-harm, anxiety.
  • When used in moderation though, can help us connect with friends/family.
  • Self-disclosure online – sharing our joys & worries can be a healthy coping mechanism
  • Promoting ourselves online can feed our narcissistic tendencies.

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Finding Balance & Developing Self-Control

  • Monitor your time online “Is this interfering with my schoolwork or relationships?”
  • Monitor your feelings “Am I emotionally distracted by my online interests?”
  • When needed, hide from your online friends who post a lot or take a break from posting “Is this something I’d care about if someone else posted it?”
  • Break the Phone-checking habit – Resist the temptation and be available. Remember your selective attention can only focus on 1 thing!
  • Refocus with a nature walk – People learn better after connecting with nature.

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Achievement Motivation

  • Achievement motivation—behavior aimed at excelling, succeeding, or outperforming others at some activity
    • A desire for significant accomplishment
    • A desire for the mastery of things, people, or ideas
    • A desire for attaining a high standard
  • Neo-Freudian, Henry Murray (1893-1988) first established the concept of achievement motivation.
  • Used Thematic Apperception Tests to measure it.

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Achievement & Success

  • Measures of achievement motivation generally correlate well with various areas of success.
  • People who score high in achievement motivation expend their greatest efforts on moderately challenging tasks
  • High Achievers tend to display original thinking, seek expert advice, and value feedback about their performance.
  • Tend to be more ambitious, energetic, & persistent.
  • Self-discipline is more important than intelligence when predicting success in school.
  • Grit – passionate dedication to an ambitious long-term goal

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Achievement & Culture

  • In individualistic cultures, the need to achieve emphasizes personal, individual success

  • In collectivistic cultures, achievements are viewed as a way of bringing glory to one’s family, group, or country.

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Goal Setting

  • Make a SMART Goal – Specific, Measurable, achievable, realistic, & timely.
  • Announce the goal to family & friends.
  • Develop an action plan – concentrate on the small steps to get there.
  • Create short-term rewards that support your long-term goals.
  • Monitor & record progress
  • Create a supportive environment
  • Transform the hard-to-do behavior into a must-do habit – repeat it everyday!