“Relations” as prime category of social psychology in the analysis of joint activity motivation.

This article explicates the fundamental role of “relations” category in the analysis of joint activity motivation. In addition to the traditional division of relations into psychological and social ones, the importance of another dichotomy is substantiated, namely: the attitude and the relationship. A special means-end relationship is singled out which forms the framework of six meaningful motives of joint activity: creativity, communication, pragmatics, cooperation, competition, achievement. The author presents the model of motivation developed within the methodological paradigm of psychological field and demonstrates its difference from the traditional individualistic model of motivation based on (personal) attitudes.