Project description
Examining people’s motivation to maintain, nurture and take care of what they have
From family to our natural surroundings, we put so much effort into maintaining what we most value in life, and are very motivated to do so. Yet, there is limited information on what motivates us to regularly maintain, develop and care for cherished people and things. The EU-funded TMAM project will explore maintenance goals to fill this knowledge gap and augment the psychological theory on motivation. It will present and trial the first overall model of goal-directed maintenance. Ultimately, the project will form the basis for studying maintenance goals separately from the approach and avoidance goals, where most theory has been focused until now.
Objective
People need to invest tremendous effort and motivational resources to ensure that all the valuable things they have will be maintained, on both an individual level (e.g. family, households, health) and a societal level (e.g. public infrastructures, the natural environment). Nevertheless, little is known about people’s motivation to routinely maintain, nurture, and care for what they have. Psychological theory on motivation has focused on approach (e.g. starting a new relationship) and avoidance goals (e.g. avoiding separation), and left maintenance goals understudied . Addressing this gap in the literature, the current project introduces and tests a first general model of goal-directed maintenance. Instead of increasing gains or avoiding negative outcomes, maintenance goals are used to stabilize positive current states. When maintaining one’s existing relationship, for instance, people are not only avoiding separation; they are engaged in a set of acts that stabilizes their relationship in a manner that keeps acute threats like separation at bay. In a similar manner, environmentalism is not only the aspiration to slow down global warming (an avoidance goal), but also, and perhaps more importantly, the aspiration that humanity will learn to maintain a stable relationship with the biological world. The proposed empirical research will combine lab studies using implicit behavioral measures with experience sampling methods (ESM). The results of this research will lay the foundation for the study of maintenance goals as distinct from approach and avoidance goals, shedding light on processes involved in the most pressing socio-political issues of our time.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3000 Leuven
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.