Abstract
It has been more than 25 years since the original work on The Achievement Motive (McClelland et al., 1953) appeared, and therefore I consider directions for future research in achievement motivation with special reference to earlier chapters. My comments will attempt to incorporate the methodological suggestions proposed by Walberg and Uguroglu and the proposal by Parsons and Goff to shift emphasis from an agentic to more communal perspective. My remarks are especially influenced by deCharms’ proposal to study persons-in-action rather than single variables, and the first section is a variation and extension of his theme. I next consider how conceptualizing a person informs methodological decisions, and finally, I propose the study of persons-in-relation as the appropriate phenomenon for psychological inquiry.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Argyris, C. Some unintended consequences of rigorous research. Psychological Bulletin, 1968, 70, 185–197.
Bakan, D. The duality of human existence, Chicago: Rand McNally, 1966.
Cronbach, L. J., & Furby, R. How should we measure “change” or should we? Psychological Bulletin, 1970, 74, 68–80.
deCharms, R. Enliancing motivation: Change in the classroom, New York: Irvington, 1976.
Entwisle, D. K. To dispel fantasies about fantasy-based measures of achievement motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 1972, 77, 377–391.
Harvey, O. J., Hunt, D. E., & Schroder, H. M. Conceptual systems and personality organization, New York: Wiley, 1961.
Heider, F. The psychology of interpersonal relations, New York: Wiley, 1958.
Hovland, C. I. The generation of conditioned responses: I. The sensory generalization of conditioned responses with varying frequencies of tone. Journal of General Psychology, 1937, 17, 125–148.
Hunt, D. E. Matching models in education: The coordination of teaching methods with student characteristics. Toronto: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 1971.
Hunt, D. E. Theory-to-practice as persons-in-relation. Ontario Psychologist, 1977, 9, 52–62.
Hunt, D. E. Conceptual Level theory and research as guides to educational practice. Interchange, 1978, 8, 78–90 (a).
Hunt, D. E. Theorists are persons, too: On preachng what you practice. In C. Parker (Ed.), Encouraging student development in college. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1978, 250–266. (b)
Hunt, D. E. In-service training as persons-in-relation. Theory into Practice, 1978, 17, 239–244. (c)
Hunt, D. E., & Sullivan, E. V. Between psychology and education. Hinsdale, Illinois: Dryden, 1974.
Macmurray, J. The self as agent, London: Faber, 1957.
Macmurray, J. Persons in relation, London: Faber, 1962.
McClelland, D. C, Atkinson, J. W., Clark, R. A., & Lowell, E. L. The achievement motive, New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1953.
Murray, H. A. Explorations in personality, New York: Oxford University Press, 1938.
Ossorio, P. G. Never smile at a crocodile. Journal of Theory of Social Behaviour, 1973,5, 121–140.
Sampson, E. E. Psychology and the American ideal. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1977, 35, 767–782.
Sarason, S. B. The psychological sense of community, San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 1974.
Sarason, S. B. Community psychology, networks, and Mr. Everyman. American Psychologist, 1976, 31, 317–323.
Tolman, E. C. Prediction of vicarious trial and error by means of the schematic sowbug. Paper presented to American Psychological Association meeting, 1938. (Available in Tolman, E. C. Behavioral psychological man. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1958, pp. 190–206).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1980 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hunt, D.E. (1980). From Single-Variable to Persons-in-Relation. In: Fyans, L.J. (eds) Achievement Motivation. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-8997-3_19
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-8997-3_19
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-8999-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-8997-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive