Social motivation and its effects on human behavior.

Human beings are beings capable of acquiring and representing the knowledge learned within a socio-cognitive vision capable of generating an effect on human behavior. This behavior is related to the motivation that each individual presents during the different stages of their life, and is developed through a learning process between the individual and their environment.

Man is born with the ability to develop and transform throughout the entire maturity process, where he acquires his own characteristics that give specificity to his behavior.

On the other hand, different types of motivations can be found that modify said behavior; however, social motivation is one of the main types of motivations capable of generating important effects on human behavior. The society or environment where an individual develops can generate motivation capable of modifying the individual’s behavior, allowing him to create a favorable environment where he is capable of making great efforts. Furthermore, motivation is the force capable of driving an individual to direct and maintain firm behavior on his or her path toward the goal set or the determined goals that allow him or her to feel personal satisfaction.

If something stands between you and your success, move it. Never be denied.

John Appleseed

Motivation is a complex integration of psychic processes that effects the inductive regulation of behavior. It is capable of determining the direction of a desired or, failing that, avoided object. Furthermore, it determines the intensity and meaning of the behavior.
This motivation serves as an impulse that allows the individual to have the willpower necessary to overcome the difficulties that arise in the environment where they develop. In simple words, motivation refers to the impulse that allows an individual to behave in certain ways according to the needs and factors presented to them.

On the other hand, I say that authors like Festinger define social motivation as “that which leads to social behavior,” understanding social behavior as the interaction with other people, in which Festinger gives affiliation or social relationships as an example.

Man is a bio-psycho-social being. Which indicates that the human being develops biologically and psychologically within an environment or social environment which provides him with certain possibilities and which condition him to the same extent. It is for this reason that the need to understand human behavior and the impact that society has on it arises, and to understand these behaviors, psychologists and sociologists, behavioral motivations focus on two basic groups: The primary ones, based on biological motivations. and the secondary ones, which encompass psychological and social motivations.

Theory of human motivation

Based on these two groups, Maslow proposes the “Theory of human motivation” which consists of a hierarchy of needs and factors capable of motivating an individual. This theory comprises five basic levels organized in ascending hierarchical order according to their importance for survival and the motivational capacity they exert on people.
These 5 levels of the theory of human motivation are made up of:

• Basic and physiological needs.
• Security needs.
• Needs for affiliation and belonging.
• Recognition needs.
• Self-actualization needs.

The satisfaction of these needs is carried out freely when social norms accept it. Belonging to a social group allows an individual to feel secure by feeling accepted, which causes chemical stimuli that act positively on the biological bases of behavior, summarized in two organic systems: a nervous system and an endocrine system. Both with the capacity to receive the necessary stimuli that will induce a response capable of modifying human behavior.

To understand the relationship that exists between social motivation and human behavior, it is necessary to clarify that patterns of motivated behavior are the product of the interaction between an organism (individual) and its environment (society). So motivation refers to an internal process that drives the individual and this drive, in turn, is related to some internal or external event. This is where the biological bases of behavior gain prominence, since these internal processes are mediated by the endocrine system and occur in response to the stimuli perceived by the nervous system through the situations that an individual presents in their external environment. (The nervous system is capable of generating an impulse of a motivational nature, but this impulse is usually quite transitory). Behavior is jointly motivated by the interaction of internal events and environmental events. If either of these two aspects does not occur, or is not present, or is present, but incorrectly or deficiently, it is very likely that the motivated behavior will not occur.

Theory of Achievement, Affiliation and Power Needs.

Human behavior is not only the responsibility of biological bases, but also of the interaction and relationship with the society in which an individual develops. This society can influence the individual in various ways, both positive and negative (Biner, et, al, 1998, p. 22)
David C. McClelland found in his research that there are 3 motivation patterns that determine people’s behaviors throughout their lives. These patterns are a product of the cultural system in which they have lived, mainly during their childhood.

The patterns are:

The need for achievement: individuals with high achievement needs tend to have great performance needs in various activities, however, they have a low level of affiliation, these individuals are mainly characterized by: a greater desire for excellence, work well accomplished, a higher level of acceptance of responsibilities, need for feedback or feedback.
The need for power: the need for power or prestige influences individuals in different ways, generally it is based on individuals who want to control situations and people, and their capacity for action. Individuals with a need for power tend to seek greater status and positions of control, whether institutional, social or group, and their characteristics are related to power, control and dominance.
The Need for Affiliation: These individuals are characterized by the desire to obtain the acceptance of others, as well as establish close interpersonal relationships, which is why they tend to have helping behaviors with members with whom they relate closely or with whom they relate closely. They have a positive emotional relationship. The need for affiliation is related to the emotional development of the individual, among which we highlight: association, participation and acceptance. These needs are met through functions and service provisions that include social activities, including: sports, cultural and recreational activities.

Patterns of human behavior due to social motivation.

Behavioral pattern of people with high achievement motive.

Achievement motivation is based on an individual’s need to achieve success by fulfilling aspirations and needs.
An individual with a high achievement motive is characterized by:

• Actively seek success, which is why they tend to be individuals who avoid living in routine.
• They constantly challenge themselves in order to overcome obstacles in a creative and innovative way.
• They do not believe in luck, on the contrary, they are responsible for achieving success through their constant effort.
• They are capable of taking risks, but with their feet firmly on the ground.
• They tend to want to take control of their own behavior, which makes them feel secure in themselves.
• They are excellent individuals with incredible leadership skills.

Pattern of behavior of people with high power motive.

• Individuals who actively participate in the group situations that arise, with the exception that their attitude is usually dominant and controlling over that of other individuals in the group.
• They have a greater number of emotionally impactful experiences than the rest and tend to remember and tell other people common events with fantasies that they create themselves.
• On the other hand, these types of individuals demonstrate abuse of power, both physical and psychological.
• In addition, they tend to exercise influential professions that allow them to control the behavior of other people and choose dependent companions and friends or those with less social impact and who generally can always remain in the background.
• They are people who are usually more concerned with gaining prestige, influence and recognition than with achieving an emotional relationship or personal achievement.

Behavioral pattern of people with a high affiliation motive.

• The relationships of these individuals tend to be of higher quality and affectionate than those of people with a low need for affiliation.
• They tend to be quite afraid of social rejection and continually seek acceptance from their group, which is why they tend to perform behaviors that they believe will please the group.
• In addition, they tend to require a greater amount of love and continuous affection that allows them to feel special.
• They tend to avoid conflictive situations at all times and prefer cooperative situations to situations that require competitiveness.
• They do not usually obtain great successes in executive positions that require certain leadership skills.

Motivation and human behavior are terms that are closely related, since man, being a social individual, needs his environment to develop, with social motivation being the force that allows this individual to grow and achieve goals throughout his life. life. The social groups to which an individual belongs are capable of imposing their own norms, as well as can directly influence the way in which said individual behaves.

On the other hand, social motivation can provide an individual with the means that favor his intellectual development. However, social motivation does not always tend to be positive. Human beings have the capacity to be a thinking individual, so the importance of motivation lies to a greater extent in the mind of said individual.

Thanks to the study of the effects of social motivation on human behavior, it has been possible to determine the various behavioral patterns that characterize the human being as a social being, serving as a guide for understanding human behavior within a specific social environment. In turn, understanding the different types of human behaviors or following behavioral patterns in detail has allowed experts to appreciate the way in which each individual is capable of satisfying their needs in the search for self-realization.