Motivated for a Mac Book

Motivation, an inner state of arousal with aroused energy directed to achieving a goal (Hoyer, MacInnis 49). Brittany bought a Dell laptop when she went away to school two years ago. She did not experience problems with her Dell until a year after she bought it, but then she noticed it started getting slower; it took up to ten minutes to turn on, and it would randomly shut off in the middle of her using it. Brittany decided she needed a new laptop and was motivated to get one.

Drew, Brittany’s boyfriend, had bought a Mac Book when he went to school. He had not experienced any problems with his laptop, and he constantly would tell Brittany how she needed to get a Mac Book even when her Dell was working fine. Once her Dell started “breaking,” Drew urged her even more to get a Mac Book, telling her how much better they were. Brittany’s goal was to have a laptop that would last a long time and would not cause her problems. Her felt involvement was enduring because she was going to have the laptop for a long time and wanted to feel like she had made the right decision even a couple years down the road. Brittany decided to buy a Mac Book instead of a Dell as her new laptop. Her outside influence from someone she loved affected what she bought. Brittany has had her laptop for one week and is very happy with her decision so far. She even remarked, “We (Brittany and Drew) have a Mac Book family.”