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The new puritans: Achievement and power motives of new left radicals
Author(s) -
Winter David G.,
Wiecking Frederick A.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 0005-7940
DOI - 10.1002/bs.3830160602
Subject(s) - dissent , psychology , power (physics) , need for achievement , political radicalism , social psychology , radical , developmental psychology , political science , chemistry , law , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , politics
A pilot study of full‐time radical activists and matched controls shows that radical males are higher in achievement motivation and lower in power motivation than controls, while radical females are higher in achievement and affiliation motivation than controls. A subsequent nonreactive study of male undergraduates who participated in occupation of a university office as compared with those who did not and those who opposed the occupation confirms the pilot study results for power motivation and gives some support to the results for achievement motivation. These data support previous observations about many radical activists and their family backgrounds, and suggest new interpretations and hypotheses about the role of dissent in history.