Skip to main content
Log in

A high implicit affiliation motive does not always make you happy: A corresponding explicit motive and corresponding behavior are further needed

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Motivation and Emotion Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Satisfaction of the implicit affiliation motive is known to be positively related to emotional well-being, whereas the frustration of the implicit affiliation motive leads to impairment of well-being. In the present research we specified two conditions that are responsible for the satisfaction and frustration of the implicit motive. Referring to research on the congruence of implicit and explicit motives, we assumed that a corresponding explicit affiliation motive leads to satisfaction of the implicit motive. Corresponding affiliation behavior constitutes the second condition. Three studies confirmed the hypothesis that both conditions must be fulfilled in order to positively connect the implicit affiliation motive to emotional well-being. Participants with high implicit and explicit affiliation motives and who additionally showed a large amount of affiliation behavior reported the lowest negative affectivity and the highest life satisfaction compared to participants who lacked one of the conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. We additionally tested whether these interaction effects (based on the analyses of variance that include only high affiliation motivated individuals) were supported by an analysis procedure that included the whole sample. Therefore, we conducted a hierarchical regression analysis in which we entered the z-transformed scores for the implicit affiliation motive, the explicit affiliation motive and affiliative behavior into the regression equation (Step 1), followed by all 2-way interactions (Step 2) and the 3-way interaction implicit motive × explicit motive × affiliation behavior (Step 3). The 3-way interaction effect on negative affect (b = −.35, se b = .14, ΔR 2 = .08, ΔF(1,44) = 6.03, p < .05) reached significance. Post-hoc analyses showed that the interaction between the explicit motive and affiliative behavior is only significant for individuals high in the implicit affiliation motive (b = −.92, se b = .18, ΔR 2 = .32, ΔF(1,21) = 24.57, p < .001), indicating that high implicit affiliation motivated individuals reported the lowest amount of negative affect when they had a high explicit motive and additionally reported a high amount of affiliation behavior. When the amount of affiliation behavior or the explicit affiliation motive was low, their negative affect was high. In contrast, the interaction pattern for individuals low in the affiliation motive was not significant and on a descriptive level was very different from that of the high implicit motivated individuals.

  2. Note that the group sizes in these T-tests were low with the smallest size of N = 6.

  3. The additional data (i.e., flow-experience, action control, self-regulation) were not relevant for the research question of the present research. From a theoretical as well as a methodological point of view it is very unlikely that the administration of any of the additional measures influenced the procedure or the results of the present study.

  4. When including the whole sample in a regression analysis (see also footnote 1), the 3-way interaction between implicit motive × explicit affiliation motive × affiliation behavior failed to reach significance. On a descriptive level, the interaction pattern for high implicit motivated individuals is rather similar to the interaction patterns of high implicit motivated participants of Study 1 and different from the interaction pattern for low implicit affiliation motivated individuals.

  5. Hierarchical regression analyses with the whole sample (see footnote 1) revealed a significant 3-way interaction effects on the affect index (b = .37, se b = .19, ΔR 2 = .03, ΔF(1,94) = 3.87, p = .05) and life-satisfaction (b = .25, se b = .12, ΔR 2 = .04, ΔF(1,94) = 4.53, p < .05). Post-hoc analyses showed that the interactions between the explicit motive and affiliative behavior are only significant for individuals high in the implicit affiliation motive (affect index: b = .76, se b = .27, ΔR 2 = .12, ΔF(1,58) = 7.75, p < .01; life-satisfaction: b = .43, se b = .17, ΔR 2 = .09, ΔF(1,58) = 6.06, p < .05), indicating again that they reported the highest affect and life-satisfaction when they had a high explicit motive and additionally reported a high amount of affiliation behavior.

References

  • Argyle, M. (1987). The psychology of happiness. London: Methuen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, J. W. (1958). Motives in fantasy, action, and society. Princeton, NJ: Van Nostrand.

  • Atkinson, J. W., Heyns, R. W., & Veroff, J. (1954). The effect of experimental arousal of the affiliation motive on thematic apperception. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 49, 405–410. doi:10.1037/h0053499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baard, P. P., Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). Intrinsic need-satisfaction as a motivational basis of performance and well-being at work: An application of cognitive evaluation theory. Unpublished manuscript, Fordham University, New York.

  • Baumann, N., Kaschel, R., & Kuhl, J. (2005). Striving for unwanted goals: Stress-dependent discrepancies between explicit and implicit achievement motives reduce subjective well-being and increase psychosomatic symptoms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(5), 781–799. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.89.5.781.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baumeister, R., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497–529. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bodenmann, G. (1990). Stress und Coping bei Paaren [Stress and coping in couples]. Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brunstein, J. C. (1993). Personal goals and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 1061–1070. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.65.5.1061.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brunstein, J. C., Schultheiss, O. C., & Grässmann, R. (1998). Personal goals and emotional well-being: The moderating role of motive dispositions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(2), 494–508. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.75.2.494.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brunstein, J. C., Schultheiss, O. C., & Maier, G. W. (1999). The pursuit of personal goals. In J. Brandtstädter & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Action & self-development (pp. 169–196). London: Sage Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, N. L., & Miller, L. C. (1994). Self-disclosure and liking: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 457–475. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.116.3.457.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Constantian, C. A. (1981). Attitudes, beliefs and behavior in regard to spending time alone. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Harvard University.

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behaviour. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1991). A motivational approach to self: Integration in personality. In R. Dienstbier (Ed.), Nebraska symposium on motivation: Perspectives on motivation (Vol. 38, pp. 237–288). Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227–268. doi:10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125, 276–302. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.125.2.276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, A. J., Gable, S. L., & Mapes, R. R. (2006). Approach and avoidance motivation in the social domain. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32(3), 378–391. doi:10.1177/0146167205282153.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Emmons, R. A. (1986). Personal strivings: An approach to personality and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1058–1068. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.51.5.1058.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • French, E. G. (1958). Development of a measure of complex motivation. In J. W. Atkinson (Ed.), Motives in fantasy, action, and society (pp. 242–248). Princeton, NJ: Van Nostrand.

    Google Scholar 

  • French, E. G., & Chadwick, I. (1956). Some characteristics of affiliation motivation. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 52, 296–300. doi:10.1037/h0045251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gable, S. L., Reis, H. T., & Elliot, A. J. (2003). Evidence for bivariate systems: An empirical test of appetition and aversion across domains. Journal of Research in Personality, 37, 349–372. doi:10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00580-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Göhring, S. (2002). Zur Messung des Konstrukts Selbstenthüllung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der evolutionistischen Emotionstheorie. Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofer, J., & Chasiotis, A. (2003). Congruence of life goals and implicit motives as predictors of life satisfaction: Cross-cultural implications of a study of Zambian male adolescents. Motivation and Emotion, 27(3), 251–272. doi:10.1023/A:1025011815778.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofer, J., Chasiotis, A., & Campos, D. (2006). Congruence between social values and implicit motives: Effects on life satisfaction across three cultures. European Journal of Personality, 20, 305–324. doi:10.1002/per.590.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Illardi, B. C., Leone, D., Kasser, T., & Ryan, R. M. (1993). Employee and supervisor ratings of motivation: Main effects and discrepancies associated with job satisfaction and adjustment in a factory setting. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 23, 1789–1805. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.1993.tb01066.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, D. N. (1984). Personality research form manual. Port Huron, MI: Research Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jemmott, J. B. (1982). Psychosocial stress, social motives and diseasesusceptibility. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Harvard University.

  • Kasser, T., & Ryan, R. M. (1996). Further examining the American dream: Differential correlates of intrinsic and extrinsic goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 80–87. doi:10.1177/0146167296223006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kehr, H. M. (2004). Implicit/explicit motive discrepancies and volitional depletion among managers. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30(3), 315–327. doi:10.1177/0146167203256967.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krohne, H.·W., Egloff, B., Kohlmann, C.-W., & Tausch, A. (1996). Untersuchung mit einer deutschen Form der Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, PANAS (Investigations with a German version of the positive and negative affect schedule, PANAS). Diagnostica, 42, 139–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhl, J. (2000). A functional-design approach to motivation and self-regulation. The dynamics of personality system interactions. In M. Boekaerts, M. Zeidner, & P. Pintrich (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 111–169). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhl, J., Kazén, M., & Koole, S. L. (2006). Putting self-regulation theory into practice: A user’s manual. Applied-Psychology: An International Review, 55(3), 408–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhl, J., & Scheffer, D. (1999). Der operante Multi-Motiv-Test (OMT): Manual [The operant Multi-Motive-Test (OMT): Manual]. Germany: University of Osnabrück.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhl, J., Scheffer, D., & Eichstaedt, J. (2003). Der Operante Motiv-Test (OMT): Ein neuer Ansatz zur Messung impliziter Motive [The operant motive-test (OMT): A new approach to the assessment of implicit motives]. In F. Rheinberg & J. Stiensmeier-Pelster (Eds.), Diagnostik von Motivation und Selbstkonzept [Diagnostic of motivation and self-concept] (pp. 129–149). Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langens, T. A. (2007). Congruence between implicit and explicit motives and emotional well-being: The moderating role of activity inhibition. Motivation and Emotion, 31, 49–59. doi:10.1007/s11031-006-9038-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Langens, T. A., & Schmalt, H.-D. (2002). Emotional consequences of positive daydreaming: The moderating role of fear-of-failure. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 12, 1725–1735. doi:10.1177/014616702237653.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lansing, J. B., & Heyns, R. W. (1959). Need affiliation and frequency of four types of communication. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 58, 365–372. doi:10.1037/h0045906.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAdams, D. P. (1980). A thematic coding system for the intimacy motive. Journal of Research in Personality, 14, 413–432. doi:10.1016/0092-6566(80)90001-X.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McAdams, D. P., & Bryant, F. B. (1987). Intimacy motivation and subjective mental health in a nationwide sample. Journal of Personality, 55, 395–413. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1987.tb00444.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, D. C. (1985). Human motivation. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.

  • McClelland, D. C. (1991). The personal value questionnaire. Boston: McBer & Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, D. C., Atkinson, J. W., Clark, R. A., & Lowell, E. L. (1953). The achievement motive. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

    Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, D. C., Koestner, R., & Weinberger, J. (1989). How do self-attributed and implicit motives differ? Psychological Review, 96(4), 690–702. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.96.4.690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mehrabian, A. (1970). The development and validation of measures of affiliative tendency and sensitivity to rejection. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30, 417–428. doi:10.1177/001316447003000226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, H. A. (1938). Explorations in personality. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, H. A. (1943). The thematic apperception test: Manual. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nezlek, J. B. (2000). The motivational and cognitive dynamics of day-to-day social life. In J. P. Forgas, K. Williams, & L. Wheeler (2006) (Eds.), The social mind: Cognitive and motivational aspects of interpersonal behaviour (pp. 92–111). New York: Cambridge University Press.

  • Panagopoulou, E., Maes, S., Rimé, B., & Montgomery, A. (2006). Social sharing of emotion in anticipation of cardiac surgery: Effects on preoperative distress. Journal of Health Psychology, 11, 809–820. doi:10.1177/1359105306066644.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pennebaker, J. W., Zech, E., & Rimé, B. (2001). Disclosing and sharing emotion: Psychological, social and health consequences. In M. S. Stroebe, R. O. Hansson, W. Stroebe, & H. Schut (Eds.), Handbook of bereavement research: Consequences, coping, and care (pp. 517–543). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Puca, R. M. (2005). The influence of the achievement motive on probability estimates in pre- and post-decisional action phases. Journal of Research in Personality, 39, 245–262. doi:10.1016/j.jrp. 2004.02.004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Puca, R. M., & Schmalt, H. D. (2001). The influence of the achievement motive on spontaneous thoughts in pre- and postdecisional action phases. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 302–308. doi:10.1177/0146167201273004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reis, H. T., Sheldon, K. M., Gable, S. L., Roscoe, J., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). Daily well-being: The role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 419–435. doi:10.1177/0146167200266002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social devolopment, and well-being. The American Psychologist, 55, 68–78. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scheffer, D. (2005). Implizite Motive [Implicit motives]. Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheffer, D., Kuhl, J., & Eichstaedt, J. (2003). Der Operante Motiv-Test (OMT): Inhaltsklassen, Auswertung, psychometrische Kennwerte und Validierung. [The operant motive-test (OMT): Contents, scoring, psychometric values, and validation]. In J. Stiensmeier-Pelster & F. Rheinberg (Eds.), Diagnostik von Motivation und Selbstkonzept [Diagnostic of motivation and self-concept] (pp. 151–167). Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon, K. M., Ryan, R. M., Rawsthome, L., & Ilardi, B. (1997). Trait self and true self: Cross-role variation in the Big Five traits and its relations with authenticity and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 1380–1393. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.73.6.1380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C. P. (1992). Motivation and personality: Handbook of thematic content analysis. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C. P., Feld, S. C., & Franz, C. E. (1992). Methodological considerations: Steps in research employing content analysis systems. In C. P. Smith (Ed.), Motivation and personality: Handbook of thematic content analysis (pp. 515–536). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokolowski, K. (2008). Social bonding: Affiliation motivation and intimacy motivation. In J. Heckhausen & H. Heckhausen (Eds.), Motivation and action (pp. 184–201). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokolowski, K., Schmalt, H.-D., Langens, T. A., & Puca, R. M. (2000). Assessing achievement, affiliation, and power motives all at once–The Multi-Motive Grid (MMG). Journal of Personality Assessment, 74, 126–145. doi:10.1207/S15327752JPA740109.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stumpf, H., Angleitner, A., Wieck, T., Jackson, D. N., & Beloch-Till, H. (1985). Deutsche Personality Research Form (PRF) [German personality research from (PRF)]. Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., & Clark, L. A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scale. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weinberger, J., & McClelland, D. C. (1990). Cognitive versus traditional motivational models: Irreconcilable or complementary? In E. T. Higgins & R. M. Sorrentino (Eds.), Handbook of motivation and cognition: Foundations of social behaviour (Vol. 2, pp. 562–597). New York: Guilford.

  • Winter, D. G. (1991). Manual for scoring motive imagery in running test (3rd ed.). Unpublished scoring manual, University of Michigan.

Download references

Acknowledgement

Study 3 was supported by a research grant from the DFG (KU 377/26-1) awarded to Julius Kuhl, University of Osnabrück, Germany.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julia Schüler.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schüler, J., Job, V., Fröhlich, S.M. et al. A high implicit affiliation motive does not always make you happy: A corresponding explicit motive and corresponding behavior are further needed. Motiv Emot 32, 231–242 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-008-9096-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-008-9096-y

Keywords

Navigation