Motive to avoid success: A profile

Abstract

In a series of studies, comparisons were made between the self-descriptions of college women whose stories contained motive-to-avoid-success imagery with women whose stories did not contain motive-to-avoid-success imagery. Women exhibiting the motive to avoid success were generally career oriented but aspired to traditional female occupations and were less concerned with making a major contribution to their field. Women not exhibiting motive to avoid success were more likely to choose atraditional female occupations, and their mothers were more likely to be employed in atraditional female occupations. With regard to personality variables, women exhibiting the motive to avoid success reported lower expression of affection, lower self-concept with close associates, higher self-criticism, and higher external locus of control. In general, ambivalence characterized their view of themselves, their relationships with others, and their professional goals. In addition, two sets of verbal cues that evoked equivalent degrees of motive-to-avoid-success imagery were developed.