Unit 10 Psychology: Motivation and Emotion

Motivation

A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior.

Homeostasis

A tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the regulation of any aspect of body chemistry, such as blood glucose, around a particular level.

Drive-reduction theory

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

Arousal theory

Suggests that people are driven to engage in activities that maintain their optimal level of physiological arousal.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

The principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases.

Intrinsic motivation

The drive to do something because it's enjoyable or rewarding, rather than for an external reward.

Extrinsic motivation

The drive to do something to achieve an external goal or avoid punishment.

Self-determination theory

Proposes that people are motivated by intrinsic (internal) or extrinsic (external) motivations.

Incentive theory

Explores the role of rewards (an extrinsic motivation) in motivating behavior.

Instincts

A complex behavior in many non-human animals that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned (innate).

Lewin's motivational conflicts

Proposes that choices create conflicts one must resolve as the basis of motivation.

Approach-approach conflict

A type of psychological conflict that occurs when a person must choose between two desirable options.

Approach-avoidance conflict

A psychological state where someone is both drawn to and repelled by a goal or object.

Avoidance-avoidance conflict

Individuals must choose between two undesirable outcomes.

Sensation-seeking theory

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

Experience seeking

A desire for novel sensory or mental experiences.

Thrill or adventure seeking

An attraction to risky or fear-inspiring activities, like skydiving.

Disinhibition

A loss of self-control; involves seeking release from social, psychological, or moral constraints.

Boredom susceptibility

The inability to tolerate monotony or repetition.

Emotion (affect)

A complex psychological process that is distinguished from reasoning or knowledge.

James-Lange theory

Proposed that we experience emotions because we first become aware of a physiological response.

Cannon-Bard theory

Physiological responses and emotions occur simultaneously.

Schachter Two-Factor Theory

Our experience of emotion depends on first experiencing physiological arousal and then cognitively labeling the arousal.

Zajonc; LeDoux theory

Some embodied responses happen instantly, without conscious appraisal.

Lazarus Appraisal Theory

Emotions arise when we appraise an event as harmless or dangerous.

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

Suggests that the experience of emotion is influenced by facial expressions.

Broaden and Build Theory

Proposes that positive emotional experiences tend to broaden awareness and encourage new actions and thoughts.

Anger

A strong emotion of displeasure, often triggered by perceived injustice or threat.

Disgust

A negative emotion characterized by revulsion or aversion towards something.

Sadness

A negative emotion associated with loss, grief, or disappointment.

Happiness

A positive emotion characterized by feelings of well-being and joy.

Surprise

A brief emotion triggered by an unexpected event or stimulus.

Fear

An emotion triggered by a perceived danger or threat, leading to a state of anxiety or apprehension.

Display rules

Social norms that guide how people express their emotions in a given culture.

Elicitors

A stimulus that directly causes a predictable reaction.

Culture

Display rules and elicitors may regulate how people from different genders, ages, or socioeconomic classes within a culture can display and interpret emotions.