4.6: Motivation

Motivation

A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior

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

Drive-reduction theory

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

Arousal theory

The idea that we are motivated to maintain an optimal level of arousal of our central nervous system

Optimal level of arousal

The level of stimulation needed to produce our best performance; differs from person to person

Yerkes-Dodson law

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

Self-determination theory

The theory that we feel motivated to satisfy our needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness

Intrinsic motivation

The desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

Extrinsic motivation

The desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment

Incentive

A positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior

Learned helplessness

A feeling of hopelessness and decreased motivation humans and other animals learn when unable to avoid reported aversive events

Sensation-seeking theory

The idea that we are motivated to seek out novel and stimulating experiences, beyond those that just meet physiological needs