Conformity And Motivational Principles

Motivational principles are an important theme that determines what social aspect will motivate an individual’s behaviors and cognitions. More specifically, this theme focuses on why others feel the need to belong or strive for social connection within a group they care about. In essence, there are specific people and social situations that influence why people seek for acceptance and support within groups. Being within a group can affect an individual’s self-esteem and social behaviors (book pg. 85 & 359). In some cases, not having a support group can lead to negative psychological behaviors. The importance of this theme allows individuals to understand the different ways to approach their desire to feel connected with society. The concept of conformity serves as an example for motivational principles. Conformity is that idea that people change their cognitions or behaviors in order to be consistent with a group (lecture, 3/1/16). The Asch Line Test experiment justifies how people conform to a group’s answer when it visually appears to be wrong. In this experiment, a group of confederates and one participant were asked to tell which line in a series of lines appeared to be the longest. Between the group of confederates and the participant, …show more content…
As stated through the Sociometer Theory, self-esteem is a measure where individuals can predict their status of belonging and acceptance from others (lecture 2/2/16). Many individuals strive to protect their self-esteem in order to receive acceptance from others. For example, this theory is relevant to college students and their grades. If a student receives a poor grade, their self-esteem may decrease. This affect may lead the student to feel rejected or disconnected from other students. Sociometer Theory is relevant to motivational principles by demonstrating how self-esteem is a motivational tool that drives others to seek