ISSN 0439-755X
CN 11-1911/B

›› 2002, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (02): 83-90.

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ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVE AND OPPORTUNITY-THREAT PERCEPTION

Xie XiaofeiWang Xiaotian (Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871) (Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota)   

  • Published:2002-04-25 Online:2002-04-25

Abstract: This research probed into the relationships among three variables, namely, motive of achievement, risk tendency in a risk situation, and the perception of opportunity and threat in a risk situation. The result of this research points to some distinct correlation between these three factors. Comparison to the motive of success, the motive of evading failure is a more sensitive factor in predicting an individual opportunity threat perception. Moreover, individuals with a high motive of achievement can see opportunities in a losing situation, while individuals with low achievement motive always have threatening factors in mind even in a promising situation. Individuals behavioral tendency and perceptional response in a risk situation are more complex. First of all, the frame effect, though not universal, really exists in some sort of risk situation. Variance analysis proves a considerable level of mutual effect between the frame and risk situations. This demonstrates that the subjectsconservative response is under the mutual influence of the situation and frame effect. Secondly, risk situations, that is, both "gaining" and "losing " situations, have produced a considerable impact on the subjects pattern of risk response. The subjects perception of situations has really affected the individuals choice making in a risk situation.

Key words: achievement motive, risk situations, risk tendency, opportunity threat perception