An Examination of Implicit and Explicit Need for Achievement and Fear of Failure Predicting Perceptions of Organizational Consequences
Open Access
Author:
Ivory, Susannah
Graduate Program:
Psychology
Degree:
Master of Science
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
June 18, 2021
Committee Members:
Kristin Buss (She/Her), Program Head/Chair Rustin David Meyer, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor James Marshall Lebreton, Committee Member Jean Marie Phillips, Committee Member
Keywords:
Situational Perceptions Implicit Personality Need for Achievement Fear of Failure Consequences
Abstract:
The interactionist perspective in psychology highlights the importance of studying characteristics of both the person and the situation in order to better understand people’s behavior and experiences. However, scholars have debated the extent to which situations are constructed in the minds of the observer versus considered objective realities (Bem & Allen, 1974; Mischel, 1977). This raises questions about how characteristics of the person (i.e., personality) influence the way in which an individual makes sense of the situation. Previous research suggests that personality can shape how people perceive situations (e.g., Sherman et al., 2013), but these studies have been limited to explicit personality – or the conscious cognitions a person has about themselves. The present study aims to integrate implicit personality – or the parts of one’s personality of which they are not consciously aware – into our understanding of situational perception. Specifically, this study looks at how a person’s implicit and explicit need for achievement and fear of failure predict their perceptions of the consequences of jobs. Result showed that implicit personality (need for achievement and fear of failure) independently predicted perceived consequences. This relationship was moderated by explicit personality (need for achievement). Implications and future directions are discussed.
