1 Psychology and human development1.8 Motivation
1.8.3 Culture and social motives
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Written by Resident Doctor Committee · Published
New in the 2027 syllabus
The College added this topic for exams from January 2027.
Appraisal and social learning
Threat appraisal is how a person judges a threat. It depends on how dangerous the situation seems, what coping responses they have and what they have learned to expect. So the same situation can provoke different reactions in different people.
Hostile attribution means reading ambiguous behaviour as deliberate harm (for example, assuming a bump in a queue was intentional). This makes reactive aggression more likely.
Social norms shape which threats matter, how anger is shown, and whether aggression earns approval or punishment.
Affiliation, sexuality and achievement
Motive | Cognitive and cultural influences |
|---|---|
Belonging | Expectations of acceptance, rejection and obligation |
Sexual behaviour | Learned meanings, consent, relationships, opportunity and social norms |
Achievement | Standards of success, how competent the person feels and the consequences they expect |
Affiliation, seeking the company of others, can give support under threat. Exclusion can change mood and attention, and drive efforts to regain acceptance.
Achievement goals may focus on mastery (getting better at the task) or on showing ability compared with others. The type of goal changes how a person responds to challenge and failure.
Cultural patterns describe tendencies within a setting. They are not fixed motives shared by every member of a group.