Psychology 3051 Psychology 305A: Theories of Personality Lecture 5 1.

Psychology 3051 Psychology 305A: Theories of Personality Lecture 5 1 Midterm Exam: September 27 th, 2012 The exam will include 30 multiple choice questions (1 point each) and 5 extended response questions (ranging in value from 3-5 points; totaling 20 points). The exam is worth one-third of your final grade if you are not writing the optional paper and one-quarter of your final grade if you are writing the optional paper. The exam will be scored out of 50 points. 2 Please arrive on time to facilitate rapid distribution of the exams. Bring a pencil, eraser, pen, and your student ID to the exam. All electronic devices must be put away before the start of the exam. Bags and backpacks should be left at the front of the room. Valuables may be placed under your seat. Hats (e.g., baseball caps) should not be worn during the exam. 3 Announcements 1. Julie Chang, the TA for students with last names A-K, must change her office hour this week in order to attend TA training workshops. Her office hour will be held this afternoon, 2:00-3:00PM. Next week, her office hour will return to Wednesday afternoon. 4 2. Anhas been circulated to members of the Peer Learning Community (PLC) for Psychology 305A. The first meeting of the PLC will be held on Thursday, September 27 th, 5:00-6:00, in room 2510 of the Kenny Building (the Suedfeld Lounge). 5 6 3. Information regarding Psychology 417A (Psychology and Developing Societies) is now available on Go Globals website:abroad/international-service-learning/current- programs/ Psychology What are needs? (continued) 2. What are motives? 3. What is environmental press? 4. How are needs measured? The Motive Perspective 3. define the term environmental press. 8 2. distinguish between a need and a motive discuss Murrays interrelations among needs. By the end of todays class, you should be able to: 4. describe contemporary measures of needs. 6. identify common criticisms of contemporary measures of needs distinguish between self-attributed and implicit needs. Psychology Murray identified 4 possible interrelations among needs. 1.Fusion of needs: Occurs when two or more non-conflicting needs are satisfied by a single action pattern. E.g., A child who tackles her bully is satisfying: n Aggression and n Harmavoidance. 10 What are needs? (continued) Psychology Subsidiation of needs: Occurs when one or more needs are activated to aid in the satisfaction of another need. E.g., A politician removes a spot from his suit because he doesnt wish to make a bad impression, and thus diminish his chances of winning the approval and friendship of Mr. Smith, from whom he hopes to obtain slanderous facts relating to his political opponent, Ms. Doe. He plans to publish these facts to damage the reputation of Ms. Doe and thus assure his own election to office. 11 Psychology E.g., continued A politician removes a spot from his suit because he doesnt wish to make a bad impression (n Inviolacy), and thus diminish his chances of winning the approval and friendship of Mr. Smith (n Affiliation), from whom he hopes to obtain slanderous facts relating to his political opponent, Ms. Doe. He plans to publish these facts to damage the reputation of Ms. Doe (n Aggression) and thus assure his own election to office (n Achievement). 12 Psychology Contrafaction of needs: Occurs when conflicting needs arise and are satisfied in alternating phases. E.g., An individual who is highly dominant at work but highly deferential at home with his family is alternating between phases characterized by: n Dominance and n Deference, respectively. 13 Psychology Conflict of needs: Occurs when conflicting needs arise simultaneously; the conflict ensures that both needs are only moderately satisfied. E.g., An individual who moderates her sexual conduct because she is concerned that her family will disapprove of her actions is experiencing a conflict between: n Sex and n Blamavoidance. 14 Psychology What are motives? According to Murrays theory, motives: (a) are elicited by needs. (b)influence thought. (c) direct behaviour toward or away from specific objects, people, or goals. 15 Psychology Need (for food) Motive (hunger) Thought (thinking of last nights dinner, fantasizing about a big meal, perceiving a rock as a loaf of bread) Behaviour (prepare a meal, go to a restaurant) E.g., 16 Psychology What is environmental press? Refers to any environmental or situational factor that influences peoples motives. Through its influence on motives, environmental press can alter thought and behaviour. 17 Psychology Need (for food) Motive (hunger) Thought (thinking of last nights dinner, fantasizing about a big meal, perceiving a rock as a loaf of bread) Behaviour (prepare a meal, go to a restaurant) E.g., Environmental press (upcoming exam, exposure to a noxious stimulus) 18 Psychology Need (for food) Motive (hunger) Thought (Ill eat after I finish reading this chapter, Ill fail the exam if I dont focus on studying right now) Behaviour (continue studying) E.g., Environmental press (upcoming exam) 19 Psychology How are needs measured? 1.Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and Picture Story Exercise (PSE) Currently, the most widely used measures of needs. 20 Involves presenting participants with images that depict ambiguous situations. Psychology Instructions for the TAT: I am going to show you some pictures, one at a time, and your task will be to make up a story for each card. In your story, be sure to tell what has led up to the event shown in the picture, describe what is happening at the moment, what the characters are feeling and thinking, and give the outcome. Tell a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. Do you understand? I will write your stories verbatim as you tell them. Heres the first card. 21 Psychology The measure assumes that peoples needs influence how they interpret ambiguous stimuli. The measure is referred to as a projective test; people project their needs onto the images. Murray used the term apperception to describe the process of projecting needs onto external stimuli; apperception may be conscious or unconscious. 22 Psychology A participants stories are analyzed to identify her/his dominant needs; this is accomplished by counting the number of references to specific needs. The dominant needs are thought to form the defining characteristics of the participants personality. 23 Psychology E.g., 24 Psychology Interpretation 1 This is a picture of a woman who all of her life has been a very suspicious and conniving person. Shes looking in the mirror and she sees reflected behind her an image of what she will be as an old womanstill a suspicious, conniving sort of person. She cant stand the thought that thats what her life will eventually lead her to and she smashes the mirror and runs out of the house screaming and goes out of her mind and lives in an institution for the rest of her life. Dominant needs: n Abasement, n Dominance, . 25 Psychology Interpretation 2 This woman has always emphasized beauty in her life. As a little girl she was praised for being pretty and as a young woman was able to attract lots of men with her beauty. While secretly feeling anxious and unworthy much of the time, her outer beauty helped to disguise these feelings from the world and, sometimes, from herself. Now that she is getting on in years and her children are leaving home, she is worried about the future. She looks in the mirror and imagines herself as an old hagthe worst possible person she could become, ugly and nastyand wonders what the future holds for her. It is a depressing time for her. Dominant needs: n Abasement, n Defendance, n Exhibition . 26 27 Thematic Apperception Test Images Psychology Personality Research Form (PRF) Designed to provide a measure of needs that can be scored more objectively than the TAT/PSE. A self-report measure comprised of 352 T/F items; the items assess a subset of 22 of Murrays needs. E.g., items used to assess n Achievement: I look more to the future than to the past or present. I enjoy situations that allow me to use my skill. 28 Psychology Participants responses to the items are used to create personality profiles relating to the 22 needs. E.g., Jill is highly motivated by the needs for aggression, dominance, exhibition, and impulsivity. Jack is highly motivated by the needs for affiliation, harmavoidance, and nurturance. 29 Psychology Multi-Motive Grid Combines features of the TAT/PSE and self-report measures such as the PRF. Assesses 3 needs: Achievement, affiliation, and power; assesses approach and avoidance states. 30 Need for power: the need to have an impact on others, to have prestige, and to feel strong in comparison to others. Need for affiliation: The need to spend time with others and form friendly social ties. Need for achievement: The desire to do things well, to feel pleasure in overcoming obstacles. 31 Psychology Some psychologists refer to these needs as the Big Threei.e., the 3 fundamental dimensions underlying Murrays list of needs. After viewing each picture, participants respond to questions using yes or no responses. Involves presenting participants with 14 pictures that reflect situations linked to achievement, affiliation, and power. 32 Psychology E.g., You are proud because you can do it .......Y / N You fear the power of others .. Y / N You are glad you have met . ... Y / N 33 Psychology E.g., You are afraid that you are boring others.........Y / N You fear the power of others .... Y / N Your reputation may be negatively affected here..... Y / N 34 Psychology Participants responses to the questions are used to create personality profiles relating to the 3 needs. E.g., Jack is highly motivated by the needs for achievement and affiliation. Jill is highly motivated by the needs achievement and power. 35 Rapid Reflection: Motive Perspective Create a mind map associated with the motive perspective (3-5 minutes) Share your mind map with a classmate (5 minutes). 36 Motive Perspective A Mind Map Template 37 Motives n Affiliation Motive Perspective n Intimacy Needs n Power Interactionism Press Example Murray, Winters 38 n Achievement TAT/PSE, PRF, MMG Self- attributed/implicit motives Dispositions Inhibited power motivation Psychology What are needs? (continued) 2. What are motives? 3. What is environmental press? 4. How are needs measured? The Motive Perspective