Methodological and Dispositional Predictors of Congruence Between Implicit and Explicit Need for Achievement

Abstract

In this research, the authors questioned the statistical independence of implicit and explicit motives. Their first aim was to identify a methodological factor that may have weakened implicit-explicit motive correlations in past research. Their second aim was to identify personality traits that moderate implicit-explicit motive congruence. They found that implicit and explicit need for achievement (nAch) are significantly correlated, but only if the implicit and explicit measures are matched in content. Three traits were found to uniquely moderate the relationship between implicit and explicit nAch: private body consciousness, self-monitoring, and preference for consistency. These findings indicate that implicit and explicit nAch are systematically related and suggest that some individuals may use implicit nAch as a foundation for the development of explicit nAch.