PSYCH 4840 - Goals, Needs, and Desires

(SBA-AS)

Spring. 4 credits.

Enrollment limited to: 15 students, by application. Co-meets with PSYCH 6840.

M. Ferguson.

Covers recent social psychological research on human goals and desires. We will examine the meaning and similarity of the constructs of goals, motivation, desires, wants, and needs. Our discussion will extend to the relevant topics of self-control, free will, nonconscious goal pursuit, liking versus wanting, motivation in nonhuman animals, and the development of goals. We will focus on the social psychological literature, but also will consider recent work in cognitive, social neuroscience, and developmental psychology.