PSY130 – Chapter 10 Emotions & Motivation

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from Chapter 10 on emotions, stress, happiness, and motivation.

Affect

The general experience of feeling or emotion.

Arousal

The bodily activation produced by the sympathetic nervous system.

Emotion

A conscious, situation-specific, valenced mental state.

Motivation

The driving force that initiates goal-directed behaviour.

Drive

An internal tension created by an unmet need that pushes behaviour.

Homeostasis

The body’s tendency to maintain a balanced internal state.

Display Rules

Cultural norms governing when, where, and how emotions should be expressed or suppressed.

Cannon-Bard Theory

Theory that physiological arousal and the subjective experience of emotion occur simultaneously.

James-Lange Theory

Theory that emotion is the conscious feeling resulting from physiological arousal.

Two-Factor Theory

Theory that emotion arises from physiological arousal plus a cognitive label.

Misattribution of Arousal

Tendency to incorrectly identify the source of one’s physiological arousal.

Excitation Transfer

Residual arousal from one event intensifies emotional reactions to a later, unrelated event.

Emotion Regulation

The ability to modulate which emotions we have, when we have them, and how we experience or express them.

Situation Selection

Emotion-regulation strategy of choosing to approach or avoid situations based on expected emotional impact.

Situation Modification

Altering an existing situation to change its emotional effect.

Attentional Deployment

Shifting focus within a situation to influence emotional experience.

Cognitive Change

Reappraising a situation to alter its emotional meaning.

Response Modulation

Influencing experiential, behavioural, or physiological responses after an emotion is underway.

Stress

The physiological response to internal or external stressors.

Acute Stress Disorder

Short-term (≤4 weeks) post-trauma symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, and avoidance.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Trauma-related symptoms persisting ≥4 weeks.

General Adaptation Syndrome

Selye’s three-stage physiological reaction to chronic stress: alarm, resistance, exhaustion.

HPA Axis

Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal system that orchestrates the stress response.

Cortisol

A glucocorticoid stress hormone that mobilises blood sugar and energy.

Social Readjustment Scale

Checklist that assigns life-change units to events to predict illness risk.

Daily Hassles

Minor, frequent negative events that accumulate to create stress and health problems.

Fight-or-Flight Response

Automatic reaction preparing the body to confront or escape a threat.

Tend-and-Befriend Response

Stress response involving seeking social affiliation and protection.

Subjective Well-Being

Self-reported happiness and life satisfaction.

PERMA Model

Seligman’s five pillars of well-being: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment.

Positive Emotions (PERMA)

Experiencing and cultivating pleasant feelings.

Engagement (PERMA)

Deep involvement or flow in activities.

Relationships (PERMA)

Supportive social connections that enhance well-being.

Meaning (PERMA)

Having a sense of purpose or serving something larger than oneself.

Accomplishment (PERMA)

Pursuing and achieving goals using the SMART framework.

Optimism

A general expectation that good outcomes will occur.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in one’s capability to perform behaviours needed for desired results.

Basal Metabolic Rate

Energy expenditure of the body at rest; major determinant of weight.

Binge Eating Disorder

Recurrent binge episodes without purging; often linked to overweight status.

Bulimia Nervosa

Cycles of binge eating followed by purging; weight typically normal range.

Anorexia Nervosa

Severe food restriction, low weight, body dysmorphia, fear of gaining weight.

Sexual Response Cycle

Four physiological phases of human sexual activity: arousal, plateau, orgasm, resolution.

Arousal Phase (Sexual)

Genitals fill with blood; initial sexual excitement.

Plateau Phase

Physiological arousal intensifies; orgasm seems imminent.

Orgasm Phase

Rhythmic muscular contractions and peak pleasure.

Resolution Phase

Gradual return to pre-arousal state; refractory period in males.

Gendered Orgasm Gap

Phenomenon where women experience fewer orgasms than men in heterosexual encounters.

Intrinsic Motivation

Engaging in an activity for its inherent enjoyment.

Extrinsic Motivation

Engaging in an activity to obtain external rewards or avoid punishments.

Expectancy Theory

Work-motivation model proposing performance rises when effort is believed to lead to valued rewards.

Growth Mindset

Belief that abilities can be developed through effort and learning.

Fixed Mindset

Belief that abilities are static and cannot significantly change.