Core Social Motives

According to Fiske (2014), there are "core social motives" that influence human cognition and behavior. The motives include belonging, understanding, controlling, self- enhancing, and trusting, and they are contingent upon an individual's interpretation of any given situation. An individual's cultural values, beliefs, and practices can also affect his or her experiences and perceptions, which can in turn influence an individual's core social motives.

For this Discussion, identify a current event that involves multiple people and focus on one particular person in that event. Consider the core motives of the person in the event that might explain his or her behavior.

Write a brief description of the current event you selected and one individual involved in the current event. Then describe two potential core social motives that might explain the individual's behavior in the event and why. Finally, explain one way you might use core social motives to predict individual behavior within your psychology field of interest.