Development of social behaviour motives and motivation in preschool and early school age children

The aim of the given research was to study the structure and developmental features of social behaviour motives and motivation in children, including motive and motivation of achieving success and avoiding failure, of affiliation, helping, and power. Basing on D. McClelland's and H. Heckhausen's concept of social needs and social motives, the author developed special techniques aimed at studying the coordination between the agespecific changes and gender differences of social behaviour motives and motivation in preschool and early school age children (the total number of participants was 126). Apart from the developed techniques, the author used observation, questioning, and experimentally organized group and individual play. The author put forward and verified 16 specific hypotheses resulting from her concept of social behaviour motives and motivation structure and development.