Motivation

What is motivation?

Process/force that moves people

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Performance is best at moderate levels of arousal

Abraham Maslow

• Proposed a theory of motivation in which certain, more basic needs, must be met before higher-order needs can be met

• The highest level is self-actualization

  • Reaching one’s highest potential

What part of the brain influences feelings of hunger?

• Hypothalamus:

  • Lateral hypothalamus: Stimulates eating

  • Ventromedial hypothalamus: Reduces hunger & eating

Set-point theories

People are motivated to eat (or not) when their energy supplies fall below (or above) their set point

Homeostatic processes

• Body’s attempts to maintain equilibrium and stability

  • Homeostatic hunger: Body sends signals to eat when it needs more fuel

Hedonic hunger

Refers to the fact that most of us ENJOY eating and look forward to it, even if we are not experiencing hunger, per se

Eating disorders

Losing one’s ability to control relationships w/ food

• Anorexia nervosa

• Bulimia nervosa

• Binge eating disorders

Behavioral inhibition system

• Avoid uncomfortable outcomes

• Neural system activated by signals of punishment, increasing arousal/anxiety

• Key biochemical: Serotonin

• Key mechanisms: Hippocampus; amygdala

Behavioral approach

• Desire to GET something

• A neural system activated by stimuli that signals the future presence of rewards, energizing an organism to seek out rewarding stimuli

• Key biochemical: Dopamine

• Key mechanisms: Medial forebrain bundle; nucleus accubems

Cognitive closure

Fire, deliberate understanding, resolves ambiguities, eliminates confusion

Self-enhancement

• Most of us feel a need to grow as a person

• Can also be achieved through thought processes: We tend to take all the credit for our successes & give little/no while credit to external factors or other people

Evolution

Human societies succeeded by developing social systems involving trust

Oxytocin

• “Love hormone”

• Activates muscles in childbirth/breast milk, orgasm

• Encourages feelings of trust

Goals

• Mental representations

  • Aim of an activity

  • Thoughts about the future & what someone values

• Personal agency:

  • Albert Bandura

  • Power to influence your own level of motivation and thus your activities and the course of your life

Proximal

• Goal in the near future

Distal

• More long-term

Bandura & Cervone

Affective thinking is an important part of the relationship between ongoing motivation & goals

Automatically activated goals

Our goals at an unconscious level, may have less control over these goals

Implementation intentions

• Specific, where/when/how you will achieve the goal

• Helps us move from desired outcome to strategies to get there

Intrinsic motivation

Engaging in activities because they are personally interesting, challenging, and enjoyable

Extrinsic motivation

• Encouragement comes from external forces

• Rewards, punishments, outcomes