Drives

Receptiviti’s Drives framework contains six measures that provide insight into what motivates people. Drives can be strong predictors of individual or group behaviour, offering insight into whether a person is driven by a need for achievement and self actualization, a need for domination, a need for reward, or a focus on risk.

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          "achievement": 57.02246226126686,
          "risk_seeking": 61.54968706606685,
          "risk_aversion": 34.820768247909285,
          "risk_focus": 46.19190784979832,
          "power": 39.347034412685794,
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Measures

Measure	Summary	High Score Definition
`affiliation`	Reflects a person's drive for connection with individuals or groups.	Indicates a strong need for affiliation with others.
`achievement`	Reflects a person's drive for success and accomplishment.	Indicates a strong internal drive for achievement and self-actualization.
`power`	Reflects a person's drive for power or influence.	Indicates a strong need for domination, control, or status.
`risk_focus`	Reflects a person’s focus on risk.	Indicates a strong psychological focus on downsides, negative outcomes, avoidant behaviors, etc.
`reward`	Reflects a person's drive for gaining rewards.	Indicates a strong internal drive for reward.
`risk_seeking`	Reflects the degree of focus on both risk and reward	Indicates a strong focus on seeking or engaging in informed risky (risk and reward-aware) behaviors.
`risk_aversion`	Reflects a focus on risk without a substantially complementary focus on reward	Indicates a strong focus on avoiding risk.

Additional Information on the Drives Framework

Affiliation

Affiliation drive involves the desire for social bonds.

The Affiliation measure evaluates language that relates to connecting and being in the presence of other people. Words in this category are related to the Social measure, but measure different phenomena. The Social measure is a marker of social engagement and is associated with awareness of other people, while the affiliation measure captures the need for interpersonal closeness

The Affiliation indicator has been used extensively in research. For example, it has been used to examine gender differences in evaluations of emergency medicine residents and their approach to patient care. Research has also shown that the feeling of affiliation, or the need to affiliate with others, can also play a role in promoting positive or negative health behaviours.

Achievement

Achievement drive involves the desire for self-mastery or success and the need to to outperform or accomplish goals. Note: Achievement drive is distinct from reward drive, as those high in achievement are not necessarily motivated by external rewards such as praise or money (those motivations are more comprehensively captured by Reward).

The Achievement measure evaluates language related to actualization and fulfillment. Words in this category include certain achievement-related verbs (e.g., advance, obtain), and nouns (e.g., plan, award, prize).

While research on Achievement and motivational drives is extensive, studies rooted in implicit motive theory—such as work by Schultheiss (2013)—have shown that language patterns, particularly the use of achievement-related words, can reliably indicate underlying motivational traits like the need for Achievement and Power, even when those motives are not explicitly stated.

Power

Power drive involves a desire for control, authority, or influence. The Power measure is broad, and evaluates language related to status (e.g., beginner, president, authority), dominance (e.g., conquest, destroy), wealth (e.g., rich, poor), and fame (e.g., famous, royal).

Power motives can be an important driver of cognition and behaviour, directing attention and influencing goal-directed actions. Power language should be viewed as indicative of motivation (i.e., how much a person cares about and is influenced by power) rather than actual dominance or social influence. That is, rather than directly reflecting control of a situation or group, power language indicates the degree to which a person views the world through the lens of dominance and hierarchies, which sometimes contrasts with a more affiliative worldview (Fetterman et al., 2015) or, in organizations, more lateral power structures. Though power words don't directly map onto a person's actual status or place in a hierarchy, they do influence perceptions of power, with people who talk about power dynamics coming across as more powerful in some settings.

Power can be an important driver of behaviour. For example, some research has shown that marker words can be important in detecting implicit motives, such as Achievement and Power.

Risk Focus & Reward

The Risk focus measure evaluates language related to caution (e.g., avoid, danger), failure (e.g., lose, disaster), and behavior (e.g., apprehensive, reluctant, tentative).

This measure has been used in research to evaluate many aspects of personality and behaviour. For example, researchers have used it to investigate how risk-taking evolves with age, how risk interacts with certainty, and more.

The Reward measure is narrower in scope as compared to the Power and Achievement categories. The measure evaluates language related to benefits (e.g., award, goal), opportunity (e.g., bet, wager, score), and feelings (e.g., eager, fearless, excited).

Studies investigating the relationship between reward and behaviour are vast. For example, some researchers have used the Reward measure to investigate the relationship between goal-setting, hopes, duties, and rewards.

In summary, Risk focus and Reward are both measurements of the amount that a person is thinking about or focusing on risks and rewards, respectively. These measures are independent of one another, meaning people can be high in only one or the other, or high in both or neither. For this reason, we like to plot them on a grid with four quadrants to better understand a person’s “risk profile” or risk-reward balance. Be sure to consider the context that language is taken from – a person’s risk profile is often different in their career vs. in their personal life, and can change from topic to topic or decision to decision based on how important they consider the relevant risks and rewards to be. In order to understand a person’s risk-profile in general (as a trait as opposed to a state), it is important to take samples of that person’s language from a range of different contexts.

	Low Risk-focus	High Risk-focus
Low Reward	Not Focused on Risks or Rewards. This person is relatively indifferent to risk and rewards in the context their language was sampled from. This person may be laid-back or unambitious, or they may simply be comfortable and content in the context their language has been sampled from – for example, risks and rewards may not be relevant in a good-natured discussion about what to have for dinner.	Risk-averse. This person is highly focused on risks, without much focus on rewards that might be gained by taking those risks. In some cases, the rewards are not present or not relevant – people are often appropriately risk-averse in no-win situations, where risk-seeking would be pointless. In other cases, where real rewards are present, risk-aversion can hold someone back from advancing their career, their business, or their personal life.
High Reward	Reward-seeking. This person is highly aware of rewards, without much awareness of risks. This person may be naive to legitimate risks, or there may actually be little risk present in the topic of decision at hand. Whether this person believes risks are not present or not significant, it is worth it is worth stopping to consider this assumption and its implications on decision-making.	Focused on both Risks and Rewards. This person is highly aware of both risks and rewards. They may be seeking to understand all possible risks before taking advantage of a great opportunity for rewards, wanting to avoid leaping without looking. In a group setting, they may be the voice of balance in a group with both reward-seekers and risk-avoiders. In general, because taking risks (even measured ones) often involves some degree of acceptance of or comfort with uncertainty, those who focus on both risks and rewards are considered risk seeking (willing to take risks).

Risk Seeking & Risk Aversion

Risk-seeking and Risk-aversion measures are derived from Risk focus and Reward. Risk-seeking measures the degree to which one’s language aligns with the lower right quadrant of the chart above, in which people are highly focused on both risks and rewards. These people are likely to take calculated, strategic risks with full awareness of the potential drawbacks – the type of risk-seeking behavior that can be beneficial and prevent stagnation.

Risk-aversion measures the degree to which one’s language aligns with the upper right quadrant of the chart above, in which people are concerned about risks without considering the possible rewards to be gained. This mindset can be associated with a more cautious approach. In other words, risk-seeking and risk aversion do not measure perfectly negatively correlated constructs. Instead they capture the degree to which one shows higher risk focus combined with either low or high reward focus.

Specifications and Sample Use Cases

Scores in the Drives framework are always in the range of 0 to 100.

note

Normed measures require a text sample of at least 350-500 words per person.

Let's look at a couple of examples:

High-scoring example

Our local community has always been close to my heart. Recently, we decided to donate a small box to the local food bank. It wasn’t much, but we hoped it would make a difference for our neighbors. Seeing people come together in times of need is truly inspiring. It reminds me of how important it is to support one another, no matter how big or small the gesture. This isn’t the first time we’ve contributed, and it certainly won’t be the last. Whenever there is a drive or a community initiative, we try our best to be involved, whether through donations, volunteering, or simply spreading the word. Building relationships with those around us creates a sense of belonging that goes beyond individual achievements. It’s about knowing that you can rely on your neighbors and that they can count on you. Last year, during a particularly harsh winter, a group of us banded together to shovel driveways for elderly residents and check in on families who might need assistance. The warmth and gratitude we received in return was priceless and only reinforced how interconnected we all are. Participating in community events like park clean-ups, neighborhood watch meetings, and local charity drives brings a sense of fulfillment and joy. It’s not about recognition; it’s about creating a stronger, more caring community. I believe we all have a role to play in building a better environment for everyone around us. My family and I often reflect on how our small efforts contribute to the bigger picture, and we take pride in being part of something that transcends ourselves. Connecting with others in meaningful ways brings us all closer together, and that’s why we continue to engage in acts of kindness whenever possible. Even something as simple as checking in on a neighbor, offering a helping hand, or sharing a warm meal can brighten someone’s day. These experiences make life richer and create lasting bonds that weave the fabric of our community. We’ll continue to give what we can and encourage others to do the same because when we lift each other up, everyone benefits.

// partial response
{
  "drives": {
    "affiliation": 100
  }
}

The paragraph above describes the value and impact of fostering community connection through acts of kindness, collaboration, and support. This is reflected in a very high affiliation score of 100. This means that 100% of all samples in our curated baseline dataset scores less than this sample paragraph.

Lower-scoring example

A few weeks ago, I dropped off a box of supplies at the local food bank. It was a straightforward decision—something to do with excess items I wasn’t going to use. The food bank serves an important function for people who need short-term assistance, so I figured it was better to pass the items along than let them go to waste. Small contributions like this seem practical for addressing immediate needs. Last winter, I shoveled some driveways after a heavy snowstorm. It made sense to help neighbors who couldn’t do it themselves. The task didn’t take much time, and it was a way to deal with the immediate challenges posed by the weather. Similarly, I’ve joined park clean-ups a couple of times, mainly because they seemed like efficient ways to deal with public maintenance issues. It’s good when straightforward solutions can be implemented without unnecessary complications. Donation drives or neighborhood initiatives are something I participate in occasionally, depending on what’s needed. It’s less about ongoing involvement and more about handling specific tasks that come up. For example, I’ve volunteered during events that required extra hands, but only when it fit into my schedule. These kinds of contributions are manageable, as they don’t demand a long-term commitment or significant effort. What I’ve found is that smaller, focused actions tend to yield results that are easier to measure. While not every problem has an immediate solution, addressing what’s within reach often works better than trying to take on broader, abstract goals. The more manageable the effort, the more likely it is to be repeated. Overall, these actions are about responding to clear and immediate needs. It’s not about building connections or strengthening community bonds but about practical, results-oriented contributions. This kind of approach feels sustainable and avoids unnecessary complexity.

// partial response
{
  "drives": {
    "affiliation": 47.321319688241495
  }
}

In this paragraph, we describe a different scenario, which emphasizes practical, results-driven contributions to address immediate needs without focusing on community connection or emotional fulfillment. The approach prioritizes manageable, independent actions over broader or ongoing involvement. Accordingly, the affiliation measure returns a high score of 47.3. This means that 47.3% of all samples in our curated baseline dataset scored below this paragraph on affiliation. We could surmise that the individual in Example 2 is less focused on community affiliation than the first.

References

Körner, R., Overbeck, J. R., Körner, E., & Schütz, A. (2024). The language of power: Interpersonal perceptions of sense of power, dominance, and prestige based on word usage. European Journal of Personality, 38(5), 812-838. 3:31
Fetterman, A. K., Boyd, R. L., & Robinson, M. D. (2015). Power versus affiliation in political ideology: Robust linguistic evidence for distinct motivation-related signatures. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(9), 1195-1206.
Schultheiss O. C. (2013). Are implicit motives revealed in mere words? Testing the marker-word hypothesis with computer-based text analysis. Frontiers in psychology, 4, 748. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00748

Measures​

Additional Information on the Drives Framework​

Affiliation​

Achievement​

Power​

Risk Focus & Reward​

Risk Seeking & Risk Aversion​

Specifications and Sample Use Cases​

References​