Motives and Goals

Abstract Motives and goals together control the intensity, direction and persistence of behavior. Goal characteristics, mechanism and moderators of the translating process from goals to action are the direct determinants of behavioral outcomes. Motives are defined as highly generalized classes of goals that determine in interaction with motivating potentials of situational contexts (that actors are embedded in) the kind of goals people use to control their actions. In the phase between goalsetting and action outcomes motives play a role, also. They effect the degree of goal commitment persons show while performing. Especially interesting is the impact of motives on the way people deal with success and failure. People differ in the way they react on success and failure. This is especially important in the case of failure. Some are better equipped to deal with failure, because they tend to increase motivation, stay with their goals and finally reach it. Others withdraw from the task.