An individual has just started a new remote job. Despite having a heavy workload, they make a consistent effort to join optional virtual social hours, participate actively in non-work-related chat channels, and organize online team-building games. Their primary goal seems to be feeling connected to and accepted by their new colleagues. Which underlying social drive best explains this individual's behavior?

The need for affiliation is a social motive that drives individuals to seek and maintain positive, friendly relationships and interactions with other people.

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Social motives are needs that individuals aim to satisfy through their interactions with others. Research by theorists like Murray, McClelland, and McAdams has identified several key social motives, including the needs for achievement, affiliation, and intimacy, which drive human behavior in social contexts.

Social Motives

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

The need for achievement is a social motive that compels individuals to strive for success, accomplishment, and high performance in their endeavors.

Need for Achievement

Need for Affiliation

The need for intimacy is a social motive that compels individuals to pursue close, profound, and meaningful connections and relationships with others.

Need for Intimacy

Henry Murray and his colleagues proposed a system for categorizing human needs into broader domains. For instance, the needs for achievement and recognition are classified under the domain of ambition, while dominance and aggression fall under human power, and the need for play is part of the interpersonal affection domain.

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