SPINOZA'S THEORY OF MOTIVATION

Abstract:  On the basis of 3p9s and 3p39s of the Ethics , it might seem that, for Spinoza, a judgment about something's goodness or badness is motivationally inert and, moreover, that value judgments essentially reflect an individual's pre-existing motivational states. However, in this paper I show that Spinoza holds that under certain conditions a motivational state results from a value judgment. Spinoza's theory of motivation consists of two accounts of the psychological order of value judgments and motivational states: an account of their order in those in bondage as well as an account of their order in those who are free.     

Purchasing Patterns of Migrant Groups: The Impact of Acculturation on Ethnocentric Behaviors

This study investigated the social psychology of Malaysian migrants and their ethnocentric purchase behavior as they assimilate into the local culture. A theoretical framework consisting of acculturation, consumer ethnocentrism, time, and demographics was assembled; and an exploratory study was undertaken involving 255 samples of Malaysian consumers residing in the UK. The findings suggest that levels of consumer ethnocentrism are inversely related to their length of residence in the host country. Hence, respondents who reside longest exhibit less ethnocentric behavior. Contrary to our prediction, no significant relationship exists between assimilation and consumer ethnocentrism. Of significance, however, highly assimilated individuals are likely to be young male and single persons, with low assimilation most likely found in middle‐aged to older married females.     

Parental confirmation as a mitigator of feeling caught and family satisfaction

This study tested parental confirmation as a mitigator of the inverse association between young adults' feelings of being caught and family satisfaction. Participants included 567 young adult children from intact and divorced families. Results indicated that mother's confirmation mitigated the inverse association between feeling caught and family satisfaction for young adults from divorced families. Family satisfaction was lowest in divorced families when young adults felt caught and their fathers were disconfirming, though young adults in intact families reported even less satisfaction in such a communicative context. Importantly, mother confirmation was more predictive of family satisfaction in divorced families than in intact families, whereas father confirmation was more predictive of family satisfaction than mother confirmation for young adults in intact families.