Why Why Matters
Psychology professor Charles Carver and colleagues have conducted research on the impact that approach and avoidance motivations have on mood.
Approach motivation is basically doing something because you desire some positive outcome.
Avoidance motivation is basically doing something because you want to avoid a negative outcome.
Dieting because you want to feel healthier would be an approach motivation, whereas dieting to avoid being criticized by others would be an avoidance motivation.
Becoming a writer to share your life experiences would be an approach motivation, becoming a writer because you hate the idea of all other jobs would be an avoidance motivation.
Carver’s research indicates that when people have an approach motivation, the emotional outcomes are either joy and elation or sadness, anger. If a person is succeeding in their goal, they will feel joy, elation and if they are failing, will feel sadness or anger.
Compare this to having an avoidance motivation. Research indicates that this will lead to, at best, relief. If a person is not succeeding in an avoidance goal, they will feel anxiety.
Of course, whether or not you set realistic goals and are able to achieve them plays an important role in mood, too. If you are consistently failing at your goals, you’ll have negative emotions regardless of your motivational approach.
But, approach motivations have a higher upside than avoidance motivations, joy instead of mere relief. They also have about the same downside, sadness or anger instead of anxiety.
Though no research has directly tested the effects of these motivations on overall happiness specifically, it seems logical based on the emotional outcomes of these motivational approaches.
If you want to be happier, do not live life to simply avoid negative things!
Nathan Heflick
Psychology Today
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