Culture and Motivation: A Socio-Ecological Approach

In this chapter, we focus on how culture influences motivational processes and why cultural differences in motivation emerge. We first trace cultural research on motivation since the early 20th century and highlight important studies exploring cultural differences in motivation such as approach/avoidance, uniqueness/conformity, and choice. Next, we introduce a socio-ecological approach as a useful framework to explain observed cultural differences in motivation. We provide evidence that cultural differences in motivation could be explained by different social ecologies including residential mobility, population density, and economic and environmental threats. Finally, we discuss the implications of the socio-ecological approach and potential future agendas of cultural research on motivation.