Chapter 8 PSYS The Trait Approach: Relevant Research
Chapter Outlines
● Achievement Motivation
● Type A, Hostility, and Health
● Social Anxiety
● Emotions
● Optimism and Pessimism
Need for Achievement
● Desire to
○ Accomplish something difficult
○ Master, manipulate, or organize
○ Overcome obstacles and attain a high standard
○ Assessed using the Thematic Apperception Test
○ Investigators focused on entrepreneurial behavior – they
discovered that people with a high need for achievement do not
always fit our stereotypes of a highly successful
businessperson
Characteristics of High-Need Achievers
● Taking moderate risks
● Tackling work with a lot of energy
● Being disinterested in routine and boring jobs
● Preferring jobs that give personal responsibility for outcomes
● Wanting concrete feedback about the performance
Factors Predicting Achievement Behavior
● Parenting practices associated with a high need for achievement in
children
● People find economic prosperity than others
● A high level of achievement motivation interferes with effective
performance
Gender, culture, and Achievement
● High need for achievement predicts success in the business world for
both genders
● Men and women think about achievement in different ways
○ Men see success in terms of external standards
Chapter Outlines
● Achievement Motivation
● Type A, Hostility, and Health
● Social Anxiety
● Emotions
● Optimism and Pessimism
Need for Achievement
● Desire to
○ Accomplish something difficult
○ Master, manipulate, or organize
○ Overcome obstacles and attain a high standard
○ Assessed using the Thematic Apperception Test
○ Investigators focused on entrepreneurial behavior – they
discovered that people with a high need for achievement do not
always fit our stereotypes of a highly successful
businessperson
Characteristics of High-Need Achievers
● Taking moderate risks
● Tackling work with a lot of energy
● Being disinterested in routine and boring jobs
● Preferring jobs that give personal responsibility for outcomes
● Wanting concrete feedback about the performance
Factors Predicting Achievement Behavior
● Parenting practices associated with a high need for achievement in
children
● People find economic prosperity than others
● A high level of achievement motivation interferes with effective
performance
Gender, culture, and Achievement
● High need for achievement predicts success in the business world for
both genders
● Men and women think about achievement in different ways
○ Men see success in terms of external standards
