The Hierarchical Model of Approach-Avoidance Motivation

Approach motivation is the energization of behavior by, or the direction of behavior toward, positive stimuli (objects, events, possibilities), whereas avoidance motivation is the energization of behavior by, or the direction of behavior away from, negative stimuli (objects, events, possibilities). In this article, I provide a brief overview of this distinction between approach and avoidance motivation. In addition, I provide a brief overview of a model of motivation in which this approach-avoidance distinction plays an integral role—the hierarchical model of approach-avoidance motivation.     

Highlighting the difference between approach and avoidance motivation enhances the predictive validity of performance-avoidance goal reports

Motivation and Emotion - This research investigated whether highlighting the difference between norm-based approach and avoidance motivation impacts performance goal reporting accuracy....     

Adult age trends in the relations among cognitive abilities

Adult age (24 years to 91 years) was examined as a potential moderator of the relations among cognitive abilities in an aggregate dataset based on studies conducted at the Cognitive Aging Lab at the University of Virginia (N = 2,227). A novel approach was applied by which the manifestations of latent ability factors were free to differ across age groups, and age trends in the interrelations among the factors were tested. Contrary to the dedifferentiation hypothesis, there was no evidence for systematic increases in the magnitudes of relations among cognitive abilities. Conventional analytic procedures replicated these findings.     

Thought about actions in social domains: Morality,social conventions,and social interactions

Judgments about actual and hypothetical events were examined. The study, conducted in elementary (first, third, and fifth grades) and junior high (seventh grades) schools, included behavioral observations and assessments of judgments. Observations were conducted of 108 events classified as moral, as conventional, and as mixed type. Participants’ reactions and communications differed by domain of the event. Judgments and justifications of 312 participants in the events showed that they discriminated between the domains on several dimensions. Judgments and justifications corresponded with ones made about comparable hypothetical situations. The study supported the proposition that judgments in the domains of morality and social convention about actual events correspond with judgments about hypothetical situations. It was also found that the domains are associated with the ways children interact socially.     

Is implicit sequence learning impaired in schizophrenia? A meta-analysis

Cognition in schizophrenia seems to be characterized by impaired performance on most tests of explicit or declarative learning contrasting with relatively intact performance on most tests of implicit or procedural learning. At the same time there have been conflicting results for studies that have used the Serial Reaction Time (SRT) task to examine implicit learning in people with schizophrenia. In the present research, we used meta-analysis to clarify whether or not people with schizophrenia show impaired performance on the SRT task. A systematic review found nine studies published in peer review journals that had each compared the performance of a group of people with schizophrenia with healthy controls on the standard SRT task or a variant of it. The resulting meta-analysis represented the responses of 205 participants with schizophrenia and 159 healthy controls on the SRT task. The analysis found that participants with schizophrenia perform less well than controls reflected by a pooled effect size of 0.51. A secondary analysis of all nine studies found that they all reported a point estimate of the change in reaction time between sequence and random trials that was greater for the controls. We conclude that there is a moderate impairment in implicit sequence learning among people with schizophrenia and speculate on the implications of this for understanding this disorder. Suggestions for improving the methodological quality and statistical reporting of studies of this topic are made.     

Executive dysfunctions across adulthood: measurement properties and correlates of the DEX self-report questionnaire

Difficulties in executive processes can disturb daily life functioning. Using data obtained from two independent community-dwelling samples (n(1) = 468, n(2) = 669, 18-97 years), we examined the factor structure of the Dysexecutive Functioning Questionnaire (DEX) and explored the frequencies and potential correlates of self-reported executive difficulties. Our results revealed that executive problems are parsimoniously described with one underlying factor. Everyday executive dysfunctions were moderately frequent throughout adulthood. Reports of executive problems were associated with individual difference characteristics including age, subjective health, personality, affect, and cognition. We also found that, although executive functions are known to decline with advancing adult age, younger age groups reported more problems than older groups, an effect that was partially mediated by a negative affect factor. We discuss implications for the validity of the instrument as well as directions for future research on executive functioning difficulties in everyday life.     

Implicit theories and IQ test performance: A sequential mediational analysis

The mediational role of worry and practice time in explaining the relationship between implicit theories of ability and performance was examined in two studies. It was hypothesized that holding an implicit theory of ability as fixed and unchangeable would impair test performance. Worry and time invested in practicing prior to taking a test were predicted to mediate the direct effect of implicit theories on performance. These predictions were supported, using both correlational (Study 1) and experimental (Study 2) methods. The results also suggest that entity beliefs lead to decreased practice and performance even when initial failure is not encountered. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

The Expression of Achievement Motives in Interpersonal Problems

ABSTRACT Achievement motivation influences self-regulatory strategies, affective processes, and achievement outcomes, but little is known about how individual differences in achievement motivation influence interpersonal behavior. Different forms of achievement motivation are likely to influence interpersonal behavior because achievement motives are grounded in social emotions. Two studies were conducted to examine relations between achievement motives and dispositional interpersonal problems. These studies linked deficits in pride-based need for achievement with self-reported submission-related interpersonal problems, and shame-based fear of failure (FF) with both self- and peer-reported interpersonal distress. The achievement motives were largely not associated with individuals' perceptions of their peers' interpersonal problems. These findings reinforce propositions that FF represents the commingling of achievement and relational concerns and suggest new mechanisms by which achievement motives may influence productivity, social success, and well-being.     

Transforming Dissatisfaction With Services Into Self‐Determination: A Social Psychological Perspective on Community Program Effectiveness1

A field study of supported employment for adults with mental illness provided an experimental test of cognitive dissonance theory. We predicted that most work‐interested individuals randomly assigned to a non‐preferred program would reject services and lower their work aspirations. However, individuals who chose to pursue employment through a non‐preferred program were expected to resolve this dissonance through favorable service evaluations and strong efforts to succeed at work. Significant Work Interest × Service Preference interactions supported these predictions. Over 2 years, participants interested in employment who obtained work through a non‐preferred program stayed employed a median of 362 days vs. 108 days for those assigned to a preferred program; participants who obtained work through a non‐preferred program also had higher service satisfaction.