Chapter 16 Clinical Implications of Implicit Motives

Abstract

Abstract Those who study implicit motives and those who study clinical psychology are often ignorant of one another’s work. Yet, they have much to offer one another. Satisfying dominant implicit motives results in a sense of well-being. Frustrating them results in unhappiness and even psychopathology. The interaction of explicit motives and implicit motives is also clinically relevant. When they are in harmony, the outcome is usually positive; when they conflict, negative outcomes ensue. Models by Kuhl and by Freud are reviewed to explain these findings. Kuhl’s is shown to have empirical support. Freud’s has not yet been adequately tested. The next focus is on psychotherapeutic treatment. The most clearly established variable underlying successful psychotherapy is the therapeutic relationship. The therapeutic relationship may be partly understood through implicit motivation. It is argued that the oneness motive, an implicit motive revolving around a need to belong to or be part of something larger than the self, partly underlies the therapeutic relationship and its ameliorative effects. The oneness motive is defined and supporting data are reviewed. Special attention is paid to data relating to clinical populations. These results are then applied to the therapeutic relationship.

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