Promoting the implicit/explicit motive congruence

There is no doubt that motive congruence is a highly desirable personal characteristic, especially, when the implicit motive in question is strong. So what can be done to increase motive congruence in oneself and in others?

3.3.4.1. Goal imagery.

In research on congruence between implicit motives and explicit goals, Schultheiss and Brunstein (1999) found that implicit motives predicted commitment to assigned goals only when participants were first given the opportunity to use imagery to envision goal pursuit and attainment.

In the first study conducted, the participants (n = 50) were assigned the goal of counselling another person in the directive manner. Their levels of need for power and affiliation were assessed. The results indicated that individuals high in both power and affiliation had higher levels of goal commitment and general arousal after goal imagery. This

motive pattern was not predictive in the control condition. In the second experiment the participants (n = 52) played a tetris game with a high-score list. After imagining the power- related incentives of the game, participants high in power—comparing to participants low in power—invested more effort into realizing the goal of attaining the first rank of the high- score list. Because explicit goals are closely associated with explicit motives, this research suggests that imagery may also play a role in the promotion of motive congruence.

In a similar vein, Job and Brandstätter (2009) argued that emotion-focused fantasies about perspective goal pursuits are particularly useful to bridge the gap between implicit motives and consciously selected goals. They posited that goal-related fantasies that are saturated with emotion-focused imagery helps individuals realize how pursuing and attaining a specific goal will affect them emotionally.

In Study 1 (n = 46) and Study 2 (n = 48), participants were asked to select goals in a hypothetical scenario. In Study 3 (n = 179), they rated their commitment to personal goals for their actual life situation. The results of all three studies supported the hypothesis that

participants who focused on motive-specific affective incentives in their goal fantasies set their goals in line with their corresponding implicit motive dispositions.

These data illustrate that goal imagery is a promising tool for linking implicit motives to consciously selected goals. Nevertheless, further research is needed to scrutinize whether goal imagery interventions not only reduce discrepancies between implicit and explicit motives but also promote experiences of positive well-being.

3.3.4.2. Flow experience.

Another line of research connected the enhancement of the implicit/explicit motive congruence with the concept of the flow experience (e.g., Rheinberg & Engeser, 2010). The underlying idea behind this approach is that implicit motives have a particularly strong impact on theperformance of the activity. When people become completely absorbed in these

activities because they enjoy what they are doing, they do not have to push themselves to complete a plan of action. This joyful absorption in a seemingly effortless activity was labeled

flow by Csikszentmihalyi. Thus, people are far more likely to enter flow states when involved in motive-congruent activities than when pursuing motive-incongruent activities.

Several attempts (unpublished papers, for example, by Clavadetscher, 2003; Engeser, 2005; Rheinberg, Manig, & Vollmeyer, 2005; Steiner, 2006), cited in Rheinberg and Engeser (2010, pp. 27-30), were made to first investigate the flow hypothesis of motivational

competence. As predicted, the better the participants’ motivational self-concepts corresponded

with their implicit motives, the more flow they experienced in their chosen projects. It also emerged that motive congruence was particularly relevant to flow experience when the implicit motive was strong.

Thus, it appears that the flow experience can offer important information about

implicit motives (Brunstein et al., 1998). It not only influences the motivational congruence or competence but also indicates that people, able to experience flow without learning, should initially possess higher levels of the implicit achievement motive.

3.3.4.3. Other approaches.

On the one hand, it is possible to start by assessing people’s motives using methods

such as the PSE technique. PSE data, as far as they are available, can be expected to facilitate the development of a realistic self-concept. People being aware of the strength of their

implicit motives, might try to attune to them their life goals (Rheinberg, 2004).

On the other hand, given the stability of implicit motives and their considerable effects on behavior and experience, it is recommended that motivational competence might be

enhanced by bringing self-concepts into line with implicit motives. Although it cannot be excluded that a change in motivational self-concept may cause conflict with a person’s core

value beliefs, the idea behind this approach is that explicit values are more susceptible to a change and training interventions, than implicit needs (Rheinberg & Engeser, 2010).

Finally, Rheinberg (2002) gives practical tips on how to enhance the implicit/explicit motive congruence. His first recommendation includes retrospective analysis of the past enjoyable and flow-like activities which the person could choose to perform without the promise of reward, as well as effective and joyful incentives forcing the person to be involved in an activity. Some negative experiences can also be analyzed, for example, remembering an outcome which could not be enjoyed, despite its objective success, thus, discomforting answers are also important.

Rheinberg´s second recommendation concerns the choice of correct prospective incentives. Thinking about adopting a goal, it is important not to concentrate on the consequences but imagine what feelings the realization of the particular goal will cause. Ideally, enjoyable and flow-like activities, and goals which elicit positive emotions, should be chosen.

CHAPTER 4. MEASUREMENT OF IMPLICIT VERSUS EXPLICIT