Yeah, I really like their approach. Can you find the list of 16 motivations anywhere?
E Sent from my iPhone On Apr 9, 2012, at 12:28, [email protected] wrote: > > > > > Psychology Today > April 8, 2012 > > This post is a response to What Is Motivation? by Steven Reiss, Ph.D > Universal Motives and Intrinsic (Core) Values > > We are a species motivated to assert our values. > > In 17 peer reviewed publications and two books, we have put forth a powerful > new theory of human motivation. We reject the idea that motivation is psychic > energy or drive. We deny that motivation is about maximizing pleasure and > minimizing pain. Instead, we offer a third, original view of motivation as > the assertion of intrinsically held values. > > We are a species motivated to assert our values. If you want to understand > why somebody behaves as they do, ask yourself, "What is the value the > individual's behavior is expressing?" You think Susan talks too much? Odds > are she intrinsically values cognitive stimulation much more highly than does > the average person. Her chatter is an expression of her intellectual values. > You think John works too much? Good chance he places an extremely high > intrinsic value on achievement. His work is an expression of his achievement > values. Jean resists change? I bet she places a high intrinsic valuation on > order. > > To understand how values and motives are related, you need to begin with our > core assumption, namely, that human beings are constituted to seek and strive > for certain goals. In other words, we assume the existence of universal goals > that move everyone and are deeply rooted in human nature. Universal goals > include survival needs, such as eating and exercise, and psychological needs, > such as socializing and achievement. > > Once you recognize the validity of the construct of a universal goal, you > will want to know what those goals are. My colleagues and I have asked > diverse groups of people what their goals are, empirically derived a list of > 16 universal goals, and then scientifically validate the list. > > The 16 universal goals are 16 intrinsic motives. They are the 16 dimensions > of meaningful experience. Virtually everything human beings do: religion, > culture, personality...can be viewed as pursuing the 16 universal goals. > > To understand where a person's values are found, you need to realize that the > pursuit of a universal goal isn't infinite, like the pursuit of pleasure > arguably is. People want to eat only so much, after which the behavior > (eating) that was pleasurable, is now unpleasant. People want to socialize > only so much, after which socializing is burdensome. > > This means that an intrinsic motive can be broken down into what people want > and how much they want. In the intrinsic motive of eating, what people want > is sustenance and how much is about 2,500 calories a day. In the intrinsic > motive of socializing what people want is belonging and how much is maybe > eight hours a day. > > Thus far, we have made very few assumptions. We have assumed the existence of > universal motives. We have assumed that no universal motive is infinite. > > We need just one more assumption to see that motives and values are closely > related to each other. We need to assume individual differences in "how much" > people want of each universal goal. In other words, we need to assume that > some people typically want to eat more than others. We need to assume that > some individuals typically want to socialize more than others. > > The universal in human nature is what we want, and this is always a universal > goal or some combination of such goals. The particular is how much. > > Values refer to how much a person wants to experience a specific universal > goal. People who want to eat much more than average value food, sustenance, > etc. People who want to socialize much more than average value fun, > belonging,. groups, etc. > > We want what we value, and we value what we want. > > Here is another way of arriving at the same conclusions. Universal values > cannot be permanently satiated. Like hunger, they motivate us anew after some > time passes from when they were last satiated. > > Values can be defined as a desired rate of experience with a universal goal. > People who desire above-average rates of food consumption, for example, value > eating, food, sustenance, etc. People who desire above-average rates of peer > interactions value belonging, socializing, and fellowship. Those who desire > below-average rates value solitude and privacy. > > Motives and values are so closely connected we can consider motives as the > assertion of a value. I published detailed charts in my book, Normal > Personality, showing numerous connections of motives and values. Previous > blogs show implications for advertising, schools, relationships, and other > practical endeavors. > > > > -- > Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community > <[email protected]> > Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism > Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
