Approach and Avoidance

Complexities of motivation in real life: The role of situations

• Many real-life situations that we encounter or contemplate entering have the capacity to meet multiple needs.

Complexities of motivation in real life:  Approach-Avoidance Conflicts and other Conflicts (Miller)

• Many real-life situations that we encounter or contemplate entering have the capacity to block multiple needs.
• If we believe that a situation has the potential to fulfil a strong need or multiple needs, we tend to approach this situation
• If we believe that a situation has the potential to block a strong need or multiple needs, we tend to avoid this situation
• We perceive some situations as both allowing us to fulfil some needs and blocking us from fulfilling other needs
  • Such situations may induce an approach-avoidance conflict
    • Whether in the end we enter the situation or not depends on the strength of the approach-related needs versus the avoidance related needs.
      • Some research has found that the avoidance gradient is steeper over time than the approach gradient.
• Sometimes we perceive that two situations that would each allow us to meet certain needs are incompatible with each other.
  • Such situations may induce an approach-approach conflict.
    • The relative approach gradients to the two situations determine which we enter
• Sometimes we perceive that we must enter one of two situations, each of which may block us from needs
  • Such situations may induce an avoidance-avoidance conflict
    • The relative approach gradients to the two situations determine which we enter.