People often distinguish themselves from animals by arguing that people are motivated by more complex needs than are animals. Animals tend to be motivated by such basic needs as food, water, and shelter. In addition to these basic needs, people are motivated by secondary needs like the need for companionship or achievement. As the video in this activity describes, achievement motivation refers to the desire to attain goals or complete tasks. Psychologists believe that achievement motivation varies in people in the same way that physical characteristics vary. Just as some people grow to be taller than others, some feel the need to achieve more than others. Achievement motivation is not the same thing as ability. One can be strongly motivated to succeed even if one has little ability in a particular field. Think about how many young children are strongly motivated to become professional athletes. Many work very hard toward this goal, even though few have the physical ability to realize their dream.

Measuring achievement motivation can be tricky, because people may not be entirely honest about their feelings. A high school student might try to conceal his achievement motivation from his friends to avoid the possibility of being labeled a nerd or a geek or whatever term is currently in fashion. This is why psychologists use "projective" tests like the TAT (thematic apperception test) to measure achievement motivation. The TAT is a series of ambiguous pictures; no explicit references are made to achievement motivation when subjects view the pictures. This allows researchers to gain a better sense of what a person is thinking. Because the subjects do not know that the researchers are looking for signs of achievement motivation, they are less likely to conceal these feelings if they exist.