Over time, experimenters altered their research from focusing on primal forces motivating human behavior to psychogentic desires driving actions. Historically, motivation focused upon primordial instincts such survival and pain avoidance; furthermore, researchers such as Sigmund Freud associated drive within humans to aggression and sexual urges. Today, contemporary assumptions about motivation focus on the method in which compels an individual to act and the benefit to the self. Additionally, psychologists focused on methods motivation shapes human behavior such as achievement values and self-efficacy. A course of research about value affirmation within a middle school classroom revealed that individuals who document their goals and objectives are more likely to achieve their goals. In regards to self-efficacy, researchers asserted that an individuals belief is not only associated with personal capabilities, but with their ability to handle negative consequences. Moreover, researchers discovered that collective efficacy has the ability to positively affect individual thought processes and performances. Although social influences have the ability to positively influence individuals, the collective has the ability to hinder those on the outside. Specifically, individuals within a minority group when faced …show more content…
The primary objective of the course of research was to measure the ambition immediately following graduation and conduct comparative analysis of their success and psychological health over the course of a two-year period. Additionally, researchers explored the impact of relationships in the facilitation and achievement of success. Approximately 80 males, 150 females from two different colleges participated in the experimentation. Researchers developed Likert scales to measure aspiration, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Results of the study indicated that individuals who were intrinsically motivated had greater psychological health than those who were extrinsically motivated. The outcomes of this course of research are consistent with the self-determination theory; however, the experiment expands upon the philosophy by recognizing that establishing personal objectives enhance psychological health. Although this course of research expanded upon self-determination theory, a prominent limitation resides within the participants. Specifically, the majority of subjects were young adults and Caucasian Americans; therefore, the potential exists that other groups such as older adults and ethnicities may present vary