Broad Motives in Short Scales
A Questionnaire for the Zurich Model of Social Motivation
Abstract
We introduce a new questionnaire that measures interindividual differences in five motivational systems (security, arousal, power, prestige, and achievement) with six items per scale. As a theoretical base for our work we referred to the Zurich model of social motivation, which describes and models these motivational systems in a system-theoretic way. The questionnaire is formulated in German and called Motive Profile Following the Zurich Model (MPZM). Data indicate that the questionnaire shows good psychometric properties with Cronbach’s α > 0.73 and an excellent factorial structure (n = 1,243). To assess convergent and discriminant validity, the MPZM was compared with the Personality Research Form (PRF-D), the Multimotive Grid (MMG) and the NEO-FFI in a multitrait-multimethod analysis and a scale-level factor analysis (n = 190). The MPZM showed convergent validity to content-matched scales of the PRF (r = 0.55), no differentiated relationship to the MMG, and few correlations to the NEO-FFI. First indications of external validity were studied through biographical data. MPZM was able to predict them with adjusted multiple Rs of up to r = 0.40 and outperformed both the NEO-FFI and MMG in predictive power and incremental validity.
References
(2000). Idiographische und nomothetische Ansätze in der Psychologie [
Ideographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology ]. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 208, 72–90.(2004). Psychologie der Persönlichkeit [
The psychology of personality ] (3. Aufl.). Berlin: Springer.(1975). A systems approach toward the functional connections of attachment and fear. Child Development, 46, 801–817.
(1993). Untersuchungen zur Systemanalyse der sozialen Motivation I: Die Regulation der sozialen Distanz – Von der Feldtheorie zur Systemtheorie [
On the regulation of social distance – From field theory to systems theory ]. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 201, 5–43.(2001). Das Rätsel Ödipus. Die biologischen Wurzeln des Urkonflikts von Intimität und Autonomie [
The riddle of Oedipus: The biological roots fo the core conflict between intimacy and autonomy ]. München: Piper.(2002). Personality as an affect-processing system: Toward an integrative theory. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
(1991). Ein Fragebogen zur Erfassung fünf robuster Persönlichkeitsfaktoren [
A questionnaire for assessing five robust personality factors ]. Diagnostica, 37(1), 29–41.(1980). Attachment and loss. New York: Basic Books.
(1959). Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix. Psychological Bulletin, 56(2), 81–105.
(2004). Emerging perspectives on distinctions between romantic love and sexual desire. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13, 116–119.
(1991). A systems theory perspective. In , Infant development: Perspectives from German-speaking countries (pp. 35–66). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
(1993). Untersuchungen zur Systemanalyse der sozialen Motivation II: Computerspiele als Werkzeug der motivationspsychologischen Grundlagenforschung [
Computer games as a tool for basic research on motivation ]. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 201, 287–315.(1994). Attachment as an organizational framework for research on close relationships. Psychological Inquiry, 5(1), 1–22.
(1965). A rationale and test for the number of factors in factor-analysis. Psychometrika, 30, 179–185.
(1967). Manual for the personality research form. Goshen: Research Psychologist Press.
(2002). Das NEO-Fünf-Faktoren Inventar (NEO-FFI): Validierung anhand einer deutschen Bevölkerungsstichprobe [
German validation of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory ]. Diagnostica, 48, 19–27.(2002). Development in infancy: An introduction (4th ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
(1991). Infant development: Perspectives from German-speaking countries. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
(1989). How do self-attributed and implicit motives differ? Psychological Review, 96, 690–702.
(1938). Explorations in personality. New York: Oxford University Press.
(1943). Thematic Apperception Test manual. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
(2005). Early adversity and mechanisms of plasticity: Integrating affective neuroscience with developmental approaches to psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 17, 735–752.
(2000). Das Multi-Motiv-Gitter für Anschluß, Leistung und Macht (MMG): Manual [
The Multi-Motive-Grid for affiliation, achievement, and power (MMG): Manual ]. Frankfurt am Main: Swets & Zeitlinger.(2001). An information processing account of implicit motive arousal. In , Advances in motivation and achievement (Vol.12: New directions in measures and methods) (pp. 1–41). Greenwich, CT: JAI.
(2000). Assessing achievement, affiliation, and power motives all at once: The Multi-Motive Grid (MMG). Journal of Personality Assessment, 74, 126–145.
(1985). Deutsche Personality Research Form (PRF): Handanweisung [
German Personality Research Form (PRF): Manual ]. Göttingen: Hogrefe.(1998). Traits and motives: Toward an integration of two traditions in personality research. Psychological Review, 105, 230–250.
