AP Psych: Emotion and Motivation

Drive-reduction theory

Motivation arises from the need to reduce internal tension caused by unmet biological needs and restore balance.

Homeostasis

The body’s tendency to maintain a stable internal environment.

Arousal theory

The theory that people are motivated to maintain an optimal level of alertness and stimulation.

Optimal arousal

The level of alertness or stimulation that is most conducive to performance and well-being.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

The principle that performance increases with arousal up to an optimal point, after which further arousal decreases performance.

Self-determination theory

A theory proposing that motivation is driven by the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Intrinsic motivation

Engaging in a behavior because it is personally rewarding or enjoyable.

Extrinsic motivation

Engaging in a behavior to earn external rewards or avoid punishment.

Incentive Theory

The theory that behavior is motivated by external rewards or incentives.

Instincts

Innate, biologically determined patterns of behavior shared by members of a species.

Lewin’s motivational conflicts

Conflicts that occur when a person must choose between competing goals or outcomes.

Approach-approach

A conflict involving a choice between two desirable options.

Approach-avoidance

A conflict involving a single goal that has both positive and negative aspects.

Avoidance-avoidance

A conflict involving a choice between two undesirable options.

Sensation-seeking theory

The theory that individuals vary in their need for novel, complex, and intense experiences.

Experience seeking

The desire for new sensory or mental experiences such as travel, art, or music.

Thrill or adventure

The pursuit of exciting and risky activities that involve physical danger or speed.

Disinhibition

The tendency to seek social and sexual stimulation and act impulsively.

Boredom susceptibility

The tendency to become restless or dissatisfied with routine or repetitive experiences.

Eating motivation

The biological and psychological processes that influence when and how much we eat.

Ghrelin

A hormone produced by the stomach that increases hunger.

Leptin

A hormone released by fat cells that signals fullness and reduces hunger.

Hypothalamus and pituitary gland

Brain structures that regulate hunger, hormones, and other vital bodily processes related to motivation.

Hunger and satiety

The physiological feelings of needing food and feeling full.

External factors (cues)

Environmental stimuli, such as sight or smell of food, that trigger eating behavior.

Emotion

A complex psychological state involving physiological arousal, subjective experience, and behavioral expression.

James-Lange Theory

The theory that emotions result from physiological reactions to events.

Cannon-Bard Theory

The theory that emotional experience and physiological arousal occur simultaneously.

Two-factor Theory

The theory that emotion depends on physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation of that arousal.

Facial-feedback hypothesis

The idea that facial expressions influence emotional experience.

Universality of emotional expression

The concept that certain facial expressions of emotion are recognized across cultures.

Display rules

Cultural norms that regulate how and when emotions may be expressed.