While McClelland 136 says the difference between avoidant and approach motives according to the sign stimulus:
In the case of avoidance motives, the sign stimulus differs from the consummatory experience sought. Inconsistency, conflict, and pain are
sign stimuli that produce negative emotions and release acts designed to produce the consummatory experience of consistency, relief, or fear
reduction. In the case of approach motives, the sign stimulus that sets up the natural incentive sequence initially may be the consummatory
experience itself. McClelland 136
It can be concluded that approach motivation is motivation in which people do things because of something they want, desire, or need. In approach motivation,
people try to achieve their goals. While avoidant motivation is motivation in which people do things to avoid something and keep themselves safe and out of
harms way.
c. Human Motives
McClelland 224 states there are four human motives, including achievement motive, power motive, affiliative motive and avoidance motive.
However, I only discuss achievement and affiliative motive since these two motives are appropriate to this research.
Murray in Karen, Vernoy and Vernoy’s Psychology in Action 399 identified “achievement motivation as the need for success, for doing better than
others, and for mastering challenging tasks”. In McClelland’s Human Motivation 46, Murray states his Illustrative List of Need, in which one of them is
achievement motives. He defines achievement as follows:
To accomplish something difficult. To master, manipulate, or organize physical objects, human beings, or ideas. To do this as rapidly and as
independently as possible. To overcome obstacles and attain a high standard. To excel oneself. To rival and surpass others. To increase self-
regard by the successful exercise of talent. McClelland 46
While in Beck’s Motivation 317, Murray defines “need for achievement as a desire or tendency ‘to overcome obstacles, to exercise power, to strive to do
something difficult as well and as quickly as possible’. Though it seems there are different definitions of achievement motives, actually they have the same
meaning. In this study, achievement motives can be defined as motive to master challenging task, to accomplish something difficult as well and as quickly as
possible, to strive to do something as rapidly and as independently as possible, and to overcome obstacles.
Stipek 9 says achievement motivation theorists try to explain the initiation, direction, and intensity of an individual’s behavior in situations in
which performance can be evaluated according to some standard. The standard may be personal i.e., achieving some goals or it may be made by another
individual, such as parents or society. The standard can encourage an individual to do something better. According to Weiner 189, individuals high in achievement
needs are conceptualized as ‘hope’ rather than ‘fear’ oriented. It indicates that individuals with ‘hope’ oriented will accomplish performance better than
individuals with ‘fear’ oriented. Spence
and Helmreich
in Franken’s
Human Motivation
138 hypothesized that three factors are linked to achievement:
Spence and Helmreich hypothesized that three factors are linked to achievement: mastery, work, and competitiveness. Research with their
Achievement scale, indicated that, contrary to their initial hypothesis, work and mastery predict achievement in various situations, but
competitiveness does not. In fact, having a competitive orientation seems to undermine achievement. Franken 138
As stated above, those three factors are linked to achievement, but not all of them are good enough for achieving something. Competitiveness can undermine the
purpose of achievement. While Weiner 363-364 clarifies that mastery might be important for achievement, but it does not guarantee that you will achieve your
goals. Being an optimist, for example, might be the most important factor in achieving goals. Achievement often asks us not only to master a certain set of
skills but also to learn how to deal with our emotions, including self-doubt. However, if people have a mastery and achievement orientation, they will have a
sense of agency as Bandura’s statement in Weiner 364. A sense of agency means that they take action so that they get what they want from life.
McClelland in Stipek’s Motivation to Learn 9 claimed achievement motivation as a consequence of parents’ behavior toward children in achievement
situations. McClelland 1961, 1971, 1978 claimed that achievement motivation is an
unconscious trait that develops early in life as a consequence of parents’ behavior toward children in achievement situations. Experiences in early
childhood are assumed to play a continuing and pervasive role in individuals’ responses to achievement situations. Stipek 9
It indicates that parents have a role in constructing children’s trait in achievement situation, especially in early childhood. Franken 365 states several studies in the
experimental literature show that when parents emphasized or encouraged early independence and mastery, children scored higher in need for achievement.
It can be summed up that achievement motives is to strive to do something difficult as well, rapidly and independently as possible. Achievement can be
evaluated according to some standards which can be personal or from others. There are three factors which are linked to achievement; they are mastery, work
and competitiveness. However, emotion also takes part in achieving something. Parents have roles in children’s achievement, especially if parents have built
achievement situation in early childhood. According to Illustrative List of Murray’s Need, affiliation is:
To draw near and enjoyable cooperate or reciprocate with an allied other an other who resembles the subject or who likes the subject. To please
and win affection of a cathected object. To adhere and remain loyal to a friend. McClelland 46
This definition shows that affiliation motives have something to do with human relationship. As what Beck 354 says that the term affiliations refer just to
associating with others, apart from the question liking them or loving them. It indicates that affiliation consists of all kinds of relationship, not only because of
liking or loving someone but also hating or confronting someone. McClelland 346-347 states “whether or not it is exactly what people seek
in interacting with others, certainly depriving individuals of the opportunity for interaction arouses in them what has been called the need for affiliation or the
need to be with people”. Everybody needs others in their life; it cannot be avoided by human. According to Beck 356, there is considerable evidence that when
people are fearful they prefer to be with others. Presumably, other people are anxiety reducing. It clarifies that individual needs others in their life. Epley in
Beck’s Motivation 356 suggests three ways by which the presence of others may reduce responses:
Epley suggests three ways by which the presence of others may reduce responses to aversive stimuli or conditioned aversive stimuli. First, the
other person may serve as a ‘calm’ model for the anxious person to imitate. Second, the companion may do something to distract the subject.
Third, the mere physical presence of another might be fear reducing, even though the other person does nothing. Beck 356
The presence of others may have good and bad side. When it can calm down the other, it can be said that it is good. However, if it distracts one’s concentration
then that must be the bad one. While due to the presence of others can reduce fear, it can be very helpful.
It can be summarized that affiliative motives defines as to be cooperated with others and to be remained loyal to others. The need for affiliation also called
the need to be with people. When we are with others, we can reduce fear. The presence of others can calm down an individual, distract, and reduce fear.
d. Social Facilitation
