Theoretical Development of the 3M

Abstract

This chapter derives the theoretical structure of the Meta-Theoretic Model of Motivation and Personality (the 3M). It first reviews background literature on control theory-based models of motivation. Next, it examines work on hierarchical personality models and evolutionary psychology. From this work it is proposed that personality traits differ in their degree of concreteness, and that a four-level hierarchy can be identified. The chapter then describes the sources of the traits found in the four levels of the hierarchy. Next, it integrates these literatures to propose the theoretical structure of the 3M. Two examples are given illustrating how the 3M describes the motivational-personality system that causes individuals to set goals and engage in tasks and activities to reach the goals. The chapter concludes with a description of the empirical approach taken to develop and test the 3M.