an activated state within a person that leads to goal-directed behavior
a construct representing an unobservable force that stimulates and
compels a behavioral response and provides specific direction to
Needs occur when a perceived discrepancy exists between
an actual and a desired state of being
Note that there are many theories of motivation:
- Don't look at these as "right" or "wrong";
they are just theories.
- None are validated, but seem intuitively logical.
Consumers usually have multiple motives for particular behaviors.
These can be a combination of:
known to the person and freely admitted
unknown to the person or the person is very reluctant to admit
Note: different motives can lead to the same behavior; observing
behavior is not sufficient to determine motives.
A model of motivation might look like:
. . . . . . . . . .tension===>
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . drives===>
. . . . . . . . . . . . search behavior===>
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . satisfied need===>
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . reduction of tension
MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
hypothesized that within every human being there exists a hierarchy
of five needs:
- Self actualization
You may use this theory as a conceptual guide; it is
intuitively appealing. However, there is no real evidence
to support it!
(E.g., why would a person like Dr. Bob spend a few years in a
doctoral program, attempting to raise a family of four on $725
per month, if "self actualization" shouldn't occur without first
meeting lower order needs?)
Nonetheless, one point that can be made from looking at Maslow's theory and
from others is that we can expect different people in different
situations to be motivated in different ways and toward different
goals depending on what needs have been met. That is, while the
specific factors of Maslow's idea are not valid in all situations,
the idea that motivation can work in a hierarchical fashion is
a valid concept.
McCLELLAND'S THREE NEEDS THEORY
need for achievement: drive to excel: drive to achieve in relation
to a set of standards; to strive to succeed.
need for power: the need to make others behave in a way that they
would not have behaved otherwise.
need for affiliation: the desire for friendly and close interpersonal
Some people like goals, some do not. These people are high achieves.
- they are not gamblers
- they avoid very easy or very difficult tasks
- low odds of losing present no challenge to their skills
- high odds of losing offer no rewards from happenstance success
- get most satisfaction from "50-50 odds
- these people like being "in charge"
- more interested in the prestige of power than in effective performance
- these people strive for friendship
- prefer cooperative rather than competitive situations
- desire relationships with a high degree of mutual understanding
McClelland's idea suggests why it is that different people behave
in different ways. We all have more or less of a need on some of
these factors, making each of us motivated toward different personal
goals. People who have a higher nACH would probably make better
entrepreneurs or salespeople and be lousy team players. People
who have a higher nPOW would probably make better leaders but
could be obnoxious "armtwisters" as salespeople. People who
have a higher nAFF would probably make the best team players but
would lack the "self drive" to be salespeople running their own
The point of this is to note that different people have different
reflects the common responses (behavior) that individuals make
to a variety of recurring situations
Personality deals with relatively long lasting personal qualities
that allow us to respond to the world around us.
- has to do with traits
- has to do with individual differences
- Financial - might the used car cost me too much to maintain?
- Performance - might the car break down and leave me
unable to get to school?
- Physical - what if I get into an accident in a car
without air bags?
- Social - what will my friends think if I buy the pink car?
- Time - what if I have to drive 100 miles each
month to that dealer for warranty service on a new car?
- Psychological - what if I attend the more rigorous
college but flunk out?
- Opportunity loss - if I go to college now, how much
will I lose by not working a "real" job?