Unit 4 - Motivation

Motivation

a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior toward a goal

Primary Need

innate/unlearned

Secondary Needs

Psychological

Evolutionary Theory

• Replaced Instinct Theory

• Adaptive/Survival functions of behavior

• Natural Selection

• Strength: Evol Psychology Helps explain behavioral similarities due to adaptation from our ancestral past.

• Weakness: explains animal behavior better than human behavior, humans have few true instincts

Drive Reduction Theory

The idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state (a drive) that motivate an organism to satisfy the need

• Strength: Explains our motivation to reduce arousal by meeting basic needs such as hunger or thirst

• Weakness: It focuses too much on biological drives, and doesn't explain other motivations like curiosity, love, or pleasure.

  • It doesn't explain why people do things that don't reduce their drives, like eating when they're not hungry.

  • It doesn't account for social or psychological factors.

Incentive theory

states that motivation is driven by external rewards or stimuli that encourage behavior, such as money, praise, or success

Self-Determination Theory

the theory that we feel motivated to satisfy our needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness

Overjustification Effect

Occurs when an unexpected external incentive such as money or prizes decreases a person’s intrinsic motivation to perform a task

Yerkes-Dodson Law

people perform best at a moderate level of arousal

Arousal Theory

Human motivation aims to increase arousal  - We feel driven to experience stimulation

Optimal Level of Arousal

individuals are motivated to reach an optimal level of arousal, where they feel alert and engaged but not stressed

Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation that stems from internal factors, benefits associated with the process of pursuing a goal (autonomy, mastery, purpose)

Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation that stems from external factors, benefits associated with achieving a goal or avoiding punishment (compensation, punishment, reward)

Social Motivation

• Aim of motivation is to fulfill successively higher levels of rank ordered needs

• Lower needs must be met before individuals are driven to satisfy higher-level needs.

Cognitive Dissonance

Aim of motivation is to reduce the tension caused by an inconsistency in one’s thoughts and beliefs

Instinct

complex, inherited behavior patterns characteristic of a species that is unlearned

Instinct Theory People

are motivated to behave in certain ways because they are evolutionarily/genetically programmed to do so with survival instincts

Lewin’s Motivational Conflicts Theory

A psychological theory proposed by Kurt Lewin that describes three types of conflicts individuals face when making decisions

Approach-approach

the least stressful social conflict that involves 2 options, only one of which you can choose.

• Ex. You are accepted to both Harvard and Dartmouth.  Which do you choose?

Avoidance-avoidance

involves 2 negative options, one of which you must choose. 

• Ex. mow the lawn or wash the dishes.

Approach-avoidance

involves whether or not to choose an option that has both a positive and negative consequence or consequences.  You are both attracted and repelled by the same goal. 

• Ex. you like to eat spicy food but it gives you heartburn.

Multiple approach-avoidance

most complex of the social conflicts that involves several alternative courses of action that have both positive and negative aspects.

• Ex. you only have a certain amount of money to spend on prom. 

  • Take a limo: spend most of your budget on the limo and have very little money left for a nice dinner

  • Borrow your parent’s car: it can only fit one other couple and they can’t give it to you when you want it, but you save money

  • Get a party bus: cheaper than a limo, but you don’t know all of the couples going.

Sensation-seeking theory

proposes that one's level of need for varied or novel experiences is the basis of motivation

Hunger Motivation

Understanding why we eat, hunger is something that makes us do things (motivator) and is a drive state

Hunger is generally triggered by…

low glucose levels in the blood, and behaviors resulting from hunger aim to restore homeostasis regarding those glucose levels

Leptin

Protein hormone secreted by fat cells; when abundant, causes the brain to increase metabolism and decrease hunger

Ghrelin

Hormone secreted by empty stomach; sends “I’m hungry” signals to the brain

Lateral hypothalamus (LH)

the “on” button for eating. 

• *Remember: If it is lesioned, people will not feel hungry and they will become little (LH)

Ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH)

the “off” button for eating. 

• *Remember: If it is lesioned, people will not feel full and they will become very huge (VMH)

Homeostasis

The mind’s and body’s regulation of internal stability, maintaining emotional and physiological balance

Thrill Seeking

A personality trait characterized by the pursuit of intense and risky experiences for excitement and adrenaline

Adventure Seeking

The psychological drive to engage in novel and challenging experiences, often involving exploration and risk

Disinhibition

A tendency toward impulsive behavior, disregarding social norms and potential risks

Boredom Susceptibility

A trait reflecting a low tolerance for routine, leading to a constant need for novelty and stimulation