Diversity in scarcity: financial scarcity uniquely impairs success-seeking beyond a universal surge in...

Social life is fundamentally shaped by how individuals perceive and respond to resource constraints. Although the "scarcity mindset theory" suggests a general cognitive cost of deprivation, research on how different contextual factors, especially time and financial scarcity, shape motivation structure remains limited. This study investigates the divergent effects of these two forms of scarcity on achievement motivation, specifically distinguishing between the motivation to pursue success (Ms) and the motivation to avoid failure (Mf).

We employed a multi-study approach across three studies. Study 1 (N = 200) was a questionnaire survey designed to establish the initial ecological correlation between naturally occurring scarcity perceptions and motivational orientations. Study 2 (N = 180) used an unconstrained recall manipulation to probe causality; its results revealed that relatively high, unbuffered ecological baselines can complicate the specific effects of scarcity. To isolate the core psychological construct, Study 3 (N = 160) employed an orthogonal manipulation that anchored non-target resources at a neutral, zero-scarcity baseline, thereby disentangling general ecological strain from the unique psychological experience of each specific resource scarcity.

Our findings across the three studies support a "Convergent-Divergent" model of social cognition under scarcity. (1) Convergence: Both time scarcity and financial scarcity consistently enhance individuals' motivation to avoid failure. (2) Divergence: The two forms of scarcity had different effects on the motivation to pursue success. Financial scarcity significantly suppressed the motivation to pursue success across both natural and controlled experimental contexts, whereas time scarcity did so only when experienced within an unbuffered, demanding natural context (Study 2; a pattern reflected by the control group's naturally high baseline of concurrent scarcity pressures); when isolated at a neutral baseline (Study 3), time scarcity showed no significant suppressive effect, leaving the drive for achievement intact.

The findings of this study reveal asymmetric effects of the motivational system under different resource-scarcity conditions and indicate that the psychological impact of scarcity is highly context-dependent. These findings have implications for motivational interventions and organizational management practices targeting different groups facing adversity.