Motivational Styles in Everyday Life

Reversal theory begins with a disarmingly simple distinction: Sometimes I act to achieve goals, and sometimes I act because I enjoy the action. This contrast between what M.J Apter call the "telic" and "paratelic" modes of human experience clears the way to a vast territory of theory, research, and application in psychological science. For over 30 years, Dr. Apter has been working out the details of a comprehensive and provocative theory of human motivation. The result is a monumental contribution to psychological theory and practice. In this definitive volume, Dr Apter and his colleagues set forth the basic principles of reversal theory and display the theory’s awesome scope and explanatory power.

Dan P. McAdams, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Human Development, Northwestern University