Unconscious Motivation

Chapter 14

Freud’s Dual-Instinct Theory

EROSInstinct for Life

THANATOSInstincts for Death

e.g., instincts for

• sex,

• nurturance,

• affiliation

e.g., instincts for

• aggression toward self,(self-criticism, depression)

• aggression toward others(anger, prejudice)

Contemporary Psychodynamic Perspective

Three Contemporary Views on the Unconscious

AdaptiveUnconscious

Implicit Motivation

Freudian Unconscious

Automatically appraises

theenvironment

e.g., sets goals, makes judgments,

and initiates action

Automatically attend to

emotionally linked

environmental events

Psychodynamics

The clashing of psychological forces

Idea

Desire

Excitation

Cathexis (sexual desire)

Conscious volition (Will) Unconscious Counter-Will

Counter-idea

Repression

Inhibition

Anticathexis (guilt)

Ego ID

Illustration of Psychodynamics

Do the ID and Ego Actually Exist?

Ego Development

Ego Psychology

(Loevinger, 1976)

Ego Development Symbiotic

Infant, ego is immature and overwhelmed by impulses

Welfare depends of and is provided by caretaker

ImpulsiveExternal forces (parental rules) curb a child’s

impulses and desires Self-Protective

Child begins to understand rules and consequences and develops self-control

Rules and consequences are internalized and guide one’s self-protective defense capabilities

Ego Development Conformist

Ego internalizes group accepted rulesAnxiety of group disapproval becomes a

counterforce against impulses Conscientious

Set of internal standards to curb and counter impulses

AutonomousThoughts, plans, goals, and behaviors

originate from within the ego Self regulating and self motivating ego

Motivational Importance of Ego Development

Changes in InternalOr External Reality

• Environmental Dangers

(conflict with environment)

• Instinctual Presses (from Id) (conflict with impulses)

• Superego Demands(conflict with conscience)

Anxiety,Distress,Depression

Defense Mechanisms toBuffer and Reduce Anxiety

Figure 14.1 Role of Defense Mechanisms in Buffering the Ego from Anxiety-Generating Events

Ego Defense

Ego Defense MechanismsPage 408 Denial Fantasy Projection Displacement Identification Regression Reaction formation Rationalization Anticipation Humor Sublimation

Ego Effectance

EffectanceMotivation

Willingness to ExerciseEmerging and ExistingSkills and Capabilities

InevitableEffects on orChanges in theEnvironment

Voluntary AttemptsTo Produce Intentional,Goal-DirectedChanges in the Environment

When Successful, Sense of Competence Increases

White’s Model of Effectance Motivation

Freud’s Drive Theory

Source of Drive Impetus of Drive Object of Drive Aim of Drive

Bodily deficit Intensity of thepsychologicaldiscomfort(anxiety)

Environmentalobject capableof satisfyingbodily deficit

Satisfactionby removing thebodily deficit

Development of mental representations of self through your relationships with others.

The quality of any one’s mental representation of relationships can be characterized by three chief dimensions:

Object Relation Theory

Criticisms of the Psychodynamic Approach