Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

344 CHAPTER 8 Motivation and EmotionCelebrating Achievement in a CollectivisticCulture When Japanese marathoner NaokoTakahashi won an Olympic gold medal,she credited “the best coach in the world,the best manager in the world, and all thepeople who supported me. I didn’t [win] italone, not by myself.” Comparing statementsby Japanese and American athletesduring the Olympics, Hazel Rose Markusfound that Japanese emphasized the importanceof their supportive relationships,but Americans tended to see their wins asan individual achievement (Markus &others, 2006).The Many Functions of Emotion Emotionsplay an important role in relationshipsand social communication. If a friend tellsyou that she is thrilled, happy, or excited,you immediately understand her internalemotional state.Achievement Motivation and CultureWhen it is broadly defined as “the desire for excellence,” achievement motivation isfound in many, if not all, cultures. In individualistic cultures, like those that characterizeNorth American and European countries, the need to achieve emphasizespersonal, individual success rather than the success of the group. In these cultures,achievement motivation is also closely linked with succeeding in competitive tasks(Markus & others, 2006; Morling & Kitayama, 2008).In collectivistic cultures, like those of many Asian countries, achievement motivationtends to have a different focus. Instead of being oriented toward the individual,achievement orientation is more socially oriented (Bond, 1986; Kitayama& Park, 2007). For example, students in China felt that it was unacceptable to expresspride for personal achievements but that it was acceptable to feel proud ofachievements that benefited others (Stipek, 1998). The person strives to achievenot to promote himself or herself but to promote the status or well-being of othermembers of the relevant social group, such as family members (Matsumoto &Juang, 2008).Individuals in collectivistic cultures may persevere or aspire to do well in order tofulfill the expectations of family members and to fit into the larger group. Forexample, the Japanese student who strives to do well academically is typically notmotivated by the desire for personal recognition. Rather, the student’s behavior ismore likely to be motivated by the desire to enhance the social standing of his orher family by gaining admission to a top university (Kitayama & Park, 2007).EmotionKey Theme• Emotions are complex psychological states that serve many functions inhuman behavior and relationships.Key Questions• What are the three components of emotion, and what functions do emotionsserve?• How do evolutionary psychologists view emotion?• What are the basic emotions?With a final score of 25 to 23, our daughter Laura’s freshman high school basketballteam had just won its first game of the season. After lining up for the ceremonial“high fives” with the defeated team, Laura’s team erupted in shouts of joy, leapinginto the air, hugging, and slapping more high fives. In contrast, the girls on thedefeated team maintained polite but resigned smiles. One seemed to fightback tears. Another was downright angry. The girls, their coaches, andmany of the spectators were clearly having an emotional experience—onethat is familiar to everyone. But what, exactly, is emotion?Emotion is a complex psychological state that involves three distinctcomponents: a subjective experience, a physiological response, and a behavioralor expressive response. How are emotions different from moods?Generally, emotions are intense but rather short-lived. Emotions are alsomore likely to have a specific cause, to be directed toward some particularobject, and to motivate a person to take some sort of action. In contrast,a mood involves a milder emotional state that is more general andpervasive, such as gloominess or contentment. Moods may last for a fewhours or even days (Gendolla, 2000).