Psychology | Individual Differences Essay
Introduction
It is imperative for mankind to appreciate the fact that humans are innately different and view the world in their own way. While there are many different concepts around these differences, a vital focus is around how humans are consistent in their own behavior over time and contexts, and how they unfailingly differ from others in their behavioral predispositions. According to Mangal, S. K. (2007), individual differences by definition are the more-or-less enduring psychological characteristics that distinguish one person from another and thus help to define each person’s individuality. Among the most important kinds of individual differences are intelligence, personality traits, and values. These personality and individual differences may manifest themselves in motivation and hope and influence behavior, actions, beliefs and achievements in daily life. This assignment draws inferences from the key theories and current research in individual differences in the psychology of motivation and hope and ongoing debates in individual differences to understand and analyze the influence of these individual differences on achievement within the workplace.
Key Theories in Individual Differences in The Psychology of Motivation and Hope
Motivation is the driving force behind the desire or aversion that is rooted in a basic impulse to assert optimization in wellbeing; both physical and psychosocial. It is obvious to infer that one person’s motivational reasons can drastically differ from another and their individual differences influence their preferences and the quality of their performance at work place or educational institutes.
As per Shen, Wan & Sivan, (2014), some of the vital instigators in motivation at work place are discussed below:
Personality:
Ariani, D. W. (2013), suggests the Big Five personality traits that affect motivation among individuals:
Openness: According to Tan, C. S., Lau, X. S., Kung, Y. T., & Kailsan, R. A. L. (2019), this trait refers to an intellectual curiosity, emotional intelligence and an insightful approach. The people who are more open, embrace novel experiences and pursue creative endeavors. In relation to career, these people would thrive in jobs which require creativity and innovative thinking such as advertising, research, designing and other artistic outlets.
Conscientiousness: Bajor, J. K., & Baltes, B. B. (2003), imply that this trait refers to diligence, perseverance and a tendency to take obligations seriously. These individuals succeed in their ability to delay gratification and conform to rules. In an organization set up, someone with this strong domain would be a potent authoritative figure such as a CEO, a manager or a supervisor.
Extraversion: According to McCabe, K. O., & Fleeson, W. (2012), extroverts derive their exuberance from engaging with people. They feel at home in crowds and where they can harness their charm. Jobs depriving them of social interactions may be a poor fit. Since their gregariousness can be used as an asset in work that relates with public dealings, they would make excellent teachers, sales person, and would be instrumental in public relations and client services.
Agreeableness: Liang, C., & Chang, C. C. (2014), suggest that agreeableness conforms to how trust-worthy, amiable, and co-operative a person appears to be. These people would make remarkable careers in therapy, customer services, and social work, but their judgement is clouded with the need to have an affable attitude. Hence, they would not be handy in occupations requiring critical thinking and objectiveness.
Neuroticism: According to Judge, T. A., & Ilies, R. (2002), it accounts to the degree to which a person is aggressive, temperamental and unreliable. In professional life, they are likely to be daunted by deadlines, personal complications and work place pressure. Therefore, they should not be placed in positions of power and leadership.
Age:
According to, Peeters, M., van Emmerik, H., Kooij, D., de Lange, A., Jansen, P., & Dikkers, J. (2008), older people are more driven by intrinsic motivation than extrinsic. As they get older, the need for recognition and gratitude from external sources diminishes. Monetary rewards lose charm either because they already have savings or due to the impending sense of momentary happiness. In younger people, the desire to perform well at work is powered by long-term goals, money and appreciation from their surroundings. External factors play an intelligent role such as increased pay, upgraded office space, and social validation.
Generation:
Baby Boomers: As per Wong, M., Gardiner, E., Lang, W., & Coulon, L. (2008), Boomers are well-established in their careers by now. Monetary rewards are the key to their enticements, but they also value non-monetary rewards such as peer-recognition, reverence, prestigious job titles.
Gen X: Vuokko, E. (2016), identifies that this generation has seen the professional struggle of their parents and are therefore inclined to be self-made in their careers. They prefer to work independently and believe in merit in selection for the job rather than legacy.
Gen Y: Wong, M., Gardiner, E., Lang, W., & Coulon, L. (2008), Gen Y makes the majority of workforce currently. Money is an important instigator in their careers but it’s not standalone. They require gratification from authoritative figures and seek their approval while maintaining a balanced self-esteem and self-growth.
Gen Z: Kirchmayer, Z., & Fratričová, J. (2020), claims that this generation is the most tech-savvy of all age groups, and thrives on challenges but only if they are instantly rewarded. They are less likely to keep working on something if it does not seem fruitful from the beginning and may abandon one task to jump onto another.
Gender:
As per Alduaij, H. S. (2013), men and women diverge in their perceptions on what’s more important in their professional lives. From a gender perspective, men place a higher value to professional growth than personal growth. While women are mindful of finding a balance between work life and other engagements.
It is evident that these individual differences in motivation exhibit themselves in work place, as per Pinder, C.C., (2014), work motivation is a set of forces that are responsible for the initiation, intensity, and duration of behavior exhibited by employees. The earliest studies of motivation involved an examination of individual needs; Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Need for Achievement Theory. According to which different employees are on different levels of the pyramid that determines their needs at the moment; some employees are motivated if their safety needs are fulfilled like health insurance and company-sponsored retirement plans. For some, social needs are important and which may be satisfied if they have a friendly workplace. As per Campbell, D. J. (1982), those who have high need for achievement have a strong need to be successful. They are particularly suited to positions where there are challenges, feedback, and recognition.
In recent years, the literature has laid an emphasis on goals being the key drivers of motivation. This belongs to the set of cognitive process theories in which achievement is gauged based on employees’ goal setting and their progress coupled with self-efficacy. Here, it is essential to put forward the link between motivation and hope. As per Snyder, C. R., (2002), hope is a cognitive set based on a derived sense of successful agency and pathways. The agency component refers to individuals’ thoughts or beliefs about their capacity to initiate and elongate movement towards goal completion. While Pathway Thinking, is about an individual’s ability to create diverse trails to the desired outcomes.
