ABSTRACT
Psychology has made great strides since the days when the economists first consulted it and obtained their postulate of the profit motive. Our way of formulating the Identity Postulate conveys several simplifications and restrictions. The first of these is implied in the word "self-evaluation." For it is clear that in our self-image, aspects other than our self-evaluation may also have motivational significance. A second restriction in our version of the Identity Postulate is conveyed by the word "maintain". A third limitation of the Identity Postulate is found in the notion of "action repertoires". The Theorem of Rank Motivation is basic to the control of motivation in hierarchical organization. The parallel between the Theorem of Rank Motivation and the Theorem of Strata Motivation is obvious. Ascription thus tends to nullify the Theorems of Rank Motivation and Strata Motivation. Achievement motivation occurs when people fail to preserve a stable reward scale and have to keep up with a changing reward system.
