Categorical goal hierarchies and classification of human motives

Abstract

To explore a structural approacb to motivation based on hierarchies of goal inclusion, 231 subjects in two studies rated the valence of 46 or 56 general goals, and ratings were subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis and factor analysis. Factors over all subjects were labeled Interpersonal Concem, Competitive Ambition,, Exploration-play,, Balanceei Success, Economic Status, and Intellectual Orientation. Cluster analyses produced corresponding clusters, as well as Security, Personal Growth, Transpersemal Orientation, and Tranquility Seeking, arranged in hierarchies of class inclusion, culminating in a broad goal dichotomy described as Indivieitial Striving vs. Harmony Seeking. The paper explicates a type of hierarchical interdependency among motives which supplements interdependencies implied by motivation theories, and suggests an alternative to the assumption of some fixed number of "basic" motives. It gives descriptive data on very broad motivation categories which influence self-reports of goal importance and which relate to prior classifications of motivation, personality, and social behavior.In the study of motivation, as of emotion, it is difficult to achieve consensus or clarity about underlying dimensions or overall structure. Consider, for example, the question of how many basic needs or wants we must postulate to understand human motivation. The number implied by motivation theories would seem to vary widely. Murray (1938) described over 28 psychogenic and 13 viscerogenic needs, McDougall at one time (1933) proposed 18 "innate propensities" of a motivational character, Cattell (1957) discussed 16 "ergs," and Madsen (1961) suggested that 16 motives were sufficient to capture the important distinctions in Murray's list. On the other hand, Maslow (1970) proposed a hierarchy of only five kinds of needs, Forgus and Sbulman (1979) discussed four systems, and Freud

Towards a hierarchical theory of shopping motivation

“…Hierarchies of generality, on the contrary, attempt to capture the complex dynamics of motivational processes (Vallerand and Ratelle, 2002) and have emerged as a dominant conceptualization in various areas of research in the social sciences (DeShon and Gillespie, 2005). Overall, theories contained in this body of literature share two basic principles: First, human motives (i.e., goals, Deci and Ryan, 2000) are hierarchically organized such that higher levels of abstraction are characterized by broader motives and lower degrees of abstraction are comprised of more specific motives (Wicker et al, 1984). Motives on lower levels are more relevant for behavior (e.g., store choices) than higher-level motives (Austin and Vancouver, 1996;DeShon and Gillespie, 2005).…”

Spiritual Experiences, Personal Commitment: Relationship With Work Stress Among Support Staff for Children with Disabilities in Oman

“…These scales were selected because they provide a useful measure of interpersonal and meaning-making behaviors. The scales are also similar to other motivation and hierarchical goal scales such as Pervin's affection support (Pervin, 1983) and Wicker's interpersonal concern (Wicker et al, 1984). In the current study al pha reliability estimates were found to be good for the PG scale (a = .78), and moderate for the AL scale (a = .69).…”

La Rueda De Motivos: Hacia Una Tabla Periódica De La Motivación Humana

“…Los intentos previos de desarrollar dicha taxonomía (e.g., Wicker, Lambert, Richardson y Kahler, 1984;Ford y Nichols, 1987;Reiss, 2004), muestran algunas limitaciones, por lo que no han conseguido instaurarse como un modelo básico sobre el que apoyarse para la investigación y experimentación. Según Forbes (2011) estas limitaciones son: 4 Mezclan motivos básicos derivados de necesidades fisiológicas y motivos sociales o cognitivos.…”