It is likely that the individual will cross and uncross his or her legs, get up and

walk around, step outside for a few minutes, and so forth. The movement is an

end in itself.

A third general drive to be identified is the affectional drive, the need for

the kind of emotional nurturance that helps to sustain a sense of well-being and

an optimistic attitude toward life. The research psychologist Harry Harlow, a former

president of the American Psychological Association, deprived a group of

rhesus monkeys of their biological mothers. He raised the monkeys in social isolation.

He discovered that, deprived of mother love, many of the monkeys displayed

behavior somewhat similar to infantile autism, a pathological condition

characterized by a lack of interest in others, self-destructiveness, and a preoccupation

with rigid, self-oriented behavior.

The psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, an important personality theorist, theorized

that the first stage of psychosocial development is trust versus mistrust. If an infant develops a sense of trust during the first two years of life, this positive foundation will have a beneficial impact on future personality development. If an infant develops a sense of mistrust during the first two years of life, this negative foundation will have an adverse impact on future personality development. A major factor in the development of a sense of trust is the meeting of an infant’s need for affection.

Acquired Motives: Exploring the Need to Achieve

Acquired motives are motives in which learning plays a large role. This does not

mean that acquired motives do not have underpinnings in biological and general

drives. However, these drives have been modified by experience, and express

themselves in ways that are unique to the individual. One way to look at acquired

motives is to think of them as somewhat stable, persistent behavioral tendencies.

Quite a bit is known about a person if one is familiar with the pattern of that per-

son’s acquired motives. These motives are also sometimes called social motives,

meaning they affect the way we relate to other people.

First, the need for achievement is a motive to reach one’s goals. All social

motives can be thought of as ranging from high to low. A person with a high need

for achievement is likely to be ambitious, strive to make a success of a business, or

earn academic recognition. A person with a low need for achievement may lack

ambition, be unconcerned about financial reward, and have very few dreams or

aspirations.

Second, the need for autonomy is a motive to do what one wants to do

without too much regard for what others expect. The need is reflected in phrases

such as “do your own thing” or “I’m doing it my way.” A person with a high need

for autonomy is likely to pursue a pathway in life that is self-defined. A person

with a low need for autonomy often feels that he or she is the victim of the

demands of others.

Third, the need for order is a motive that urges the individual to impose

organization on the immediate environment. A person with a high need for order