Why Do Parents Bring Their Children to the Emergency Department? A Systematic Inventory of Motives

Table 5

Domains and states in metamotivational theory. Examples of corresponding possible motives for going to a pediatric emergency department (PED).

Domain	State	Characteristic	Possible motive for going to PED
Goals and means	Telic	Focusing on goals and achievement, with a serious attitude	Seeking quick solution to the problem (quick diagnosis and treatment)
	Paratelic	Focusing on the situation or the activity itself and on present moment, with a playful attitude	Having seen how PEDs work on the TV and feeling curiosity about it
Rules and constraints	Conformist	Following social codes, rules, and laws; showing respect or obedience; and adopting a conventional attitude	Believing that PED is the best place to go: PED has the best physicians and the best equipment
	Negativist	Opposing social expectations and rules; expressing hostility or dissidence; and adopting an unconventional attitude	Considering that the family physician’s diagnosis was wrong
Transactions or exchanges with other people, things, and situations	Mastery	Trying to dominate people, things, or situations	Realizing that the situation was escaping one’s control
	Sympathy	Feeling affection toward other people or things	Feeling strong compassion for one’s suffering child
Relationships with other people, things, and situations	Autocentric	Being the focus of others’ concerns and interests	Wanting to be considered as a good parent by child and others
	Intra-autic	Focusing on one’s own concerns and interests	Feeling personally very anxious and worried
	Allocentric	Identifying with and focusing on the needs and interests of others	Wishing that child’s high fever and suffering would be reduced