📘 9.2 Measurement of Motivation and Emotion
🔍 Why Measure Motivation and Emotion?
- Objective: Understand the internal states driving human behavior.
- Purpose: Useful in education, workplace, clinical settings, marketing, and public policy.
- Emotions and motivations are not directly observable, so psychologists rely on indirect tools and tests.
🧠 Measurement of Motivation
A. Psychological Tools
| Tool/Test |
Description |
Example Use |
| Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) |
Projective test – stories are created based on pictures |
Measures need for achievement (nAch), power (nPow), etc. |
| Achievement Motivation Scale |
Standardized questionnaire (McClelland) |
Assess motivation levels in civil service aspirants |
| Motivational Analysis Test |
Measures various motives like fear of failure, success, etc |
Used in career counselling or personality evaluation |
| Self-Report Inventories |
Individuals rate their own motivations |
Example: Academic Motivation Scale |
B. Behavioral Measures
| Method |
Description |
Example |
| Task Persistence |
Time spent on difficult tasks as a measure of motivation |
Research productivity of scholars |
| Choice Behavior |
Choices made when multiple options are presented |
Choosing IAS over corporate job shows high public service motivation |
🔥 Measurement of Emotion
A. Physiological Tools
| Tool |
What it Measures |
Example |
| Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) |
Skin conductivity due to sweating (arousal) |
Lie detector tests |
| Electrocardiogram (ECG) |
Heart rate variability |
Stress detection during interviews |
| Electromyography (EMG) |
Facial muscle activity |
Smiling muscles in fake vs real emotions |
| EEG (Electroencephalogram) |
Brain activity linked to emotions |
Fear response, meditation studies |
| fMRI |
Brain imaging |
Amygdala activation in fear or happiness |
B. Psychological Tools
| Test |
Description |
Example |
| PANAS Scale (Watson & Clark) |
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule |
Measures frequency of feelings like joy, guilt, anger |
| Emotional Quotient Inventory |
Self-report measure of emotional intelligence |
Used in recruitment/HR |
| Projective Tests (e.g., TAT) |
Stories also reveal emotional themes |
Aggression, fear, hope, etc. |
🧪 Experimental Examples
- Example 1: During a stress study, students are monitored via GSR and ECG during exams vs post-exams.
- Example 2: Candidates appearing for UPSC personality test complete the PANAS scale to measure emotional stability.
- Example 3: Children shown ambiguous images and asked to narrate stories – analyzed for achievement motivation and emotional tone.
📌 Issues in Measurement
| Issue |
Impact |
| Subjectivity in self-reports |
People may lie or misjudge themselves |
| Culture-bound interpretations |
Emotions expressed differently across cultures |
| Physiological complexity |
Same response (e.g., sweating) may result from different emotions |
| Intrusiveness |
Tools like EMG, fMRI can cause discomfort or bias |
🏛️ Applications in Governance and Society
| Field |
Use of Measurement Tools |
| Education |
Assessing student motivation, emotional intelligence |
| Recruitment/HR |
EQ tests to screen for leadership qualities |
| Military/Police |
Stress, emotional reactivity measurement |
| Public Policy |
Understand citizen emotional response to welfare schemes |
| Disaster Management |
Measure trauma and coping motivation |
🧠 Summary Diagram
Measurement of Motivation
├── Projective (TAT)
├── Self-report (Scales)
└── Behavioral (Persistence, Choice)
Measurement of Emotion
├── Physiological (GSR, ECG, EEG, fMRI)
└── Self-report (PANAS, EQ Inventories)
✍️ Model 10-Marker Answer Structure
- Define motivation and emotion
- Explain why measurement is necessary
- Describe psychological and physiological tools
- Provide real-life or Indian administrative examples
- Discuss challenges in measurement
- Conclude with relevance to applied psychology
