(Tel Aviv University)
A proximity-by-value theory of motivation
One basic theory of human motivation underlies all social sciences – it is that strength of motivation to achieve an outcome is the product of the outcome’s value and its probability. Based on the notion that probability is one of the dimensions of psychological distance, along with temporal, spatial and social distances, I propose a new theory of motivation, in which probability is replaced with the more general term proximity. According to the new Proximity-by–Value theory, the effects of distance on motivation depend on what permeates the span of distance between an actor and the outcome s/he pursues. I explore the implications of the novel theory in two areas: The first area is valuation of outcomes as a function of the outcome’s probability, temporal distance and social distance. I show that variations in rates of discounting of value over distance follow from the new theory in that they depend on the number of outcome-less states that distancing introduces. The second area is allocation of effort as a function of spatial and temporal distance to a pursued goal. I show that variations in rates of increasing effort with goal proximity follow from the new theory in that they depend on the number of alternative goals, action-thwarting forces and alternative means for goal pursuit that distancing introduces.
The colloquium will be held in Psychology Building 035 at 4:00pm.