UWRF Psych: Motivation and Emotion

Motivation

An internal state that activates behavior and directs it toward a goal

Drive reduction theory

The idea that a physiological need creates a drive that motivates an organism to satisfy the need

Homeostasis

A tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state, the regulation of any aspect of the body

Instinct theory

Fixed patterns of innate tendencies that determine behavior, common among a species

Incentive theory

An external stimulus, reinforcer, or reward that motivates behavior

Intrinsic motivation

Engaging in behavior because it is personally rewarding

Extrinsic motivation

Engaging in activities to reduce biological needs to obtain external rewards

Overjustification effect

When people are given more extrinsic motivation than necessary to perform a task, their intrinsic motivation declines

Self efficacy

An individual’s belief in their ability to successfully accomplish a task or achieve a goal

Self esteem

One’s feelings of high or low self worth

David McClelland’s human motivation theory

Rooted in hierarchy of needs, three needs are power, affiliation, and achievement

Low achievement motivation

Motivated primarily by a desire to avoid failure

High achievement motivation

Tend to choose challenging but achievable tasks

High affiliation motivation

Wants to go along with the group and be liked

High power motivation

Wants to control and influence others and enjoys status and recognition

Yerkes Dodson law of optimum arousal

Performance increases with arousal up to a certain point, past that it decreases

Flow

Experienced between no work and a lot of work, work doesn't feel like work because we’re so into it

Conflict

A perceived incompatibility between action, goals, and ideas

Lewin’s motivational conflict theory

Approach approach, approach avoidance, avoidance avoidance, double approach avoidance (both choices have negative and positive)

Marvin Zuckerman's sensation seeking theory

Some people are motivated by their need for novel and varied experiences

Types of sensation seeking

Experience seeking, thrill and adventure seeking, disinhibition, boredom susceptibility

Experience seeking

Desire for new sensations and experiences

Thrill and adventure seeking

Desire for exciting, risky physical activities

Disinhibition

Desire for social and sexual experiences through partying, substance abuse, etc

Boredom susceptibility

Aversion to repetitive experiences and restlessness when things don't change

Glucose

The form of sugar that circulates in the blood that provides the major source of energy for body tissues, when it’s low we feel hunger

Insulin

Secreted by pancreas to regulate blood sugar

Parts of brain that trigger hunger

Lateral hypothalamus (lots of hunger), orexin (hunger triggering hormone), ventromedial hypothalamus (very minute hunger)

Set point

The point where someone’s weight is set

Basal metabolic rate

The body’s resting rate of energy expenditure

Orexin

Hunger triggering hormone secreted by hypothalamus

Leptin

Protein secreted by fat cells; when abundant it decreases hunger

Ghrelin

Hunger triggering hormone secreted by an empty stomach

Emotions

A response of the whole organism involving physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience

Broaden and build theory

Emotions influence behavior and mental processes

Universal emotions

Fear, disgust, anger, surprise, happiness, sadness

Facial feedback effect

The tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings

Health psychology

A subfield of psychology that provides psychology’s contribution to behavioral medicine