Abstract
The theory of achievement motivation (Atkinson & Raynor, 1974) is seen as an important starting point for making theoretical predictions regarding the interaction of personality and situational determinants on group processes. However, progress in this direction has been slow, possibly because group situations may lead to overmotivation. Here, persons who might be expected to excel in such situations (e.g., success-oriented persons also high in affiliation motivation) may actually perform poorly as a function of being too positively motivated. The present study is an attempt to find a priori evidence for the overmotivation hypothesis in order to facilitate progress toward a motivational theory of group activity. Male and female subjects were run in either an individual or a cooperative performance situation. The achievement, affiliative, and extrinsic incentives in these situations were examined in conjunction with relevant personality dimensions. The results lend support to the overmotivation hypothesis. Implications for group activity are discussed.
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This research was supported by a Canada Council Research Grant (S72-0639) awarded to the second author. The study presented here is a portion of the first author's doctoral dissertation (Short, 1980). Our thanks to E. Tory Higgins and James Olson for their helpful comments regarding this manuscript. Thanks also to John W. Atkinson for his helpful comments concerning theoretical aspects of the overmotivation formulation.
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Short, JA.C., Sorrentino, R.M. Achievement, affiliation, and group incentives: A test of the overmotivation hypothesis. Motiv Emot 10, 115–131 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00992251
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00992251