Social psychology is a major branch of psychology that attempts to frame human behavior in the context of the social world. It works to understand how people operate in particular situations and how (real or imagined) others influence one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Susan Fiske is a major figure in the field who developed the core social motive approach to social psychology.1 Based on much empirical research, it identifies five core motives that can be organized in the acronym BUC(k)ET as follows: Belonging, Understanding, Control, Enhance self, Trust others. This post summarizes these core motives and shows how we might use the framework to understand human social dynamics.

What are the situations people thrive in? Conversely, when are people floundering and distressed? The BUC(k)ET framework helps us understand the kind of social relations humans seek and what kinds of environments they will tend to flourish in. It says people do well when they have a deep sense of belonging and trust the institutions and experts that lead them, when they feel like they understand the world and can generate shared meaning-making with important others, when they feel like they can control the flow of resources, and when they can feel good about themselves and have avenues for personal growth and improvement.

We can flip this around and look at modern times and see that, at a societal level, we are experiencing many holes in our BUC(k)ET. This fact was painfully apparent when, recently, Elmo tweeted out a seemingly innocent question regarding how everyone was doing. The response was a deluge of despair and concern. The BUC(k)ET model helps us understand the core issues.

People’s trust in institutions is at an all-time low. Our national identity is fractured, and tensions between groups are high. We are facing a meaning crisis, and are so overloaded with information and change that understanding is very hard. And our lifestyles are in such a state of flux that a sense of control and stable personal growth are difficult to achieve. Perhaps we can use the BUC(k)ET framework to consider the kinds of changes we need to make to get things moving in a better direction.

References

1. Fiske, S. T. (2004). Social Beings: A Core Motives Approach to Social Psychology. John Wiley.