Motivation, Hunger and Emotion

motivation

a need or desire that energizes behavior and directs it towards a goal.

instinct

an innate behavior that an organism is born with and does not have to learn; automatic, fixed patterns of behavior

drive-reduction theory

humans and animals are motivated to reduce physiological tension (thirst, hunger, ect.) in order to maintain homeostasis.

Yerkes Dodson Law

there is an optimal level of arousal that leads to a person’s best performance, but too much/too little can hurt performance.

Homeostasis

the body’s ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes.

Arousal Theory

people are driven to maintain an optimal level of arousal instead of just seeking to reduce tension.

Extrinsic Motivation

external motivation

Intrinsic Motivation

internal motivation

Opponent Process Theory

When you experience one emotion, the opposite is temporarily inhibited

Incentive Theory

people are motivated to act by external rewards rather than just internal needs/drives.

Hypothalamus

determines biological motivation for eating behavior

Leptin

decreases hunger

Ghrelin

increases hunger

set point theory

everyone's body has a genetically determined range of weight and temperature that their body will try to maintain to stay at optimal health.

lateral hypothalamus

motivation for hunger/feeding; if you remove this from a rat, they lose appetite and stop eating

ventromedial hypothalamus

motivation for fullness; if you remove this from a rat, they will never feel full and keep eating

emotions

our body’s adaptive response to situations.

dimensions of emotion

emotions can be pleasant or unpleasant, automatic or subconscious.

commonsense theory of emotion

First comes conscious awareness, then comes physiological activity.

James-Lange theory of emotion

physiological activity precedes the emotional experience.

Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

an emotion-triggering stimulus and the body's arousal take place simultaneously.

Schachter-Singer Two-Factor theory of emotion

our physiology and cognition create emotions. Emotions have two factors–physical arousal and cognitive label.

embodied emotion

physiological changes in body when experiencing emotion

Autonomic Nervous System

During an emotional experience, mobilizes energy in the body that arouses us.

Expressed Emotion

Emotions expressed on the face, by the body, and by the intonation of voice.

Universal Emotion

an emotion that is recognized worldwide

Eckman Studies of Expressive Emotion

facial expressions are recognized universally, and are biologically hardwired rather than learned through culture.

Display Rules

social/cultural guidelines on how/when emotions should be expressed.