AP Psych - Motivation, Health, & Emotion (4.7a-5.2b)

Motivation

a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior.

Instinct

a complex, unlearned behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species.

Drive-Reduction Theory

the idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state (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 body chemistry, such as blood glucose, around a particular level.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

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

Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher-level safety needs and then psychological needs become active.

Glucose

the form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides the major source of energy for body tissues.  When its level is low, we feel hunger.

Insulin

hormone secreted by the pancreas; controls blood glucose.

Ghrelin

Hormone secreted by the empty stomach; sends “Im hungry” signals to the brain

Leptin

protein hormone secreted by fat cells; when in abundance, causes the brain to speed up metabolism and decrease hunger.

Orexin

hunger-triggering hormone secreted by the hypothalamus

PYY

digestive tract hormone that sends the “im not hungry” signals to the brain

Lateral Hypothalamus

releases orexin (hungry-triggering hormone)

Vetromedial Hypothalamus

stops the release of orexin (hunger-triggering hormone)

Set Point

the point at which an individual’s “weight thermostat” is supposedly set.  When the body falls below this weight, an increase in hunger and a lowered metabolic rate may act to restore the lost weight.

Sexual Response Cycle

the four stages of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnson – excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

Emotion

a response of the whole organism, involving

•(1) physiological arousal,

•(2) expressive behaviors, and

•(3) conscious experience.

James-Lange Theory

the theory that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses to emotion-arousing stimuli.

Cannon-Bard Theory

the theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers

•(1) physiological responses and

•(2) the subjective experience of emotion.

Zajonc Le Doux

some embody emotional responses without the initial consciousness

Two-Factor Theory

the Schachter-Singer theory that to experience emotion one must (1) by physically aroused and (2) cognitively label the arousal.

Lazarus Theory

Cognitive appraisal (is it dangerous or not?) - sometimes without our awareness - determines out emotions.

Facial Feedback Effect

the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings such as fear, anger, and happiness.

Behavior Feedback Effect

the tendency of behavior to influence our own and others’ thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases – alarm, resistance, exhausion.

Tend-and-Befriend Response

under stress, people (especially women) often provide support to others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend).

Psychoneuroimmunology

the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect the immune system and resulting health.

Lymphocytes

the two types of white blood cells that are part of the body’s immune system; B cells and T cells

T lymphocytes

form in the thymus and other lymphatic tissue and attack cancer cells, viruses, and foreign substances.

B lymphocytes

form in the bone marrow and release antibodies that fight bacterial infections

Macrophages

large cells that trap and destroy harmful intruders and worn-out cells

NK (natural killer) Cells

attack diseased cells (dead cells) and remove them, such as cancer cells, or virus cells

Insula

part of the brain that lights up with lust, pride, and disgust

Amygdala

part of the brain that lights up when in a positive mood - lack of activity in this area is a physiological sign of depression

Duchenne Smile

a true, real, and genuine smile. Characterized by the raise of the cheek muscles that make eyes appear slightly squinted

Adaptation Level Phenomenon

our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, of lights, of income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience.

Relative Depravation

the perception that we are worse off relative to those with whom we compare ourselves.

Broaden-and-Build Theory

proposes that positive emotions broaden our awareness, and helps us build new and meaningful skills that improve well-being.

Coronary Heart Disease

the clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle; the leading cause of death in many developed countries.

Learned Helplessness

the helplessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events. (an overtaking of the internal locus of control into an entirely external locus of control)

Positive Psychology

the scientific study of optimal human functioning; aims to discover and promote strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive.