AP Psychology Units 4C & 5A Review

Drive-reduction theory

all motivation arises as a result of biological needs such as hunger or thirst

Homeostasis

tendency for the human body to seek balance, equilibrium, and stability

Arousal Theory

people are motivated to seek out activities or situations to maintain or increase their level of arousal

Optimal level of arousal

the ideal state of arousal or stimulation individuals strive to maintain in order to achieve peak performance

Yerkes-Dodson Law

suggests that there is a relationship between performance and arousal

Self-determination theory

suggests that every person has a right to determine his or her motivation/direction once their needs for competence, connection, and autonomy are fulfilled

Intrinsic motivation

Someone feels motivated to do something for fun/satisfaction as opposed to doing it for a reward or some other consequence

Incentive Theory

suggests that people are motivated by external stimuli or positive factors to engage in behaviors. Basically a person is motivated to work harder when their accomplishments are tied to certain goals or rewards

Extrinsic motivation

Someone feels motivated to do something because they want to do it for rewards or praise

Instincts

a natural/unlearned way of thinking, behaving, or feeling

Lewin’s motivational conflicts theory

People are motivated to resolve conflicts using three types of categories which are: approach-approach, approach-avoidance, and avoidance-avoidance.

Approach-approach conflicts

a conflict when a decision has to be made from two positive/appealing choices

Approach-avoidance conflicts

A conflict when a person has to make a decision based on a desirable and undesirable choice. The person has to outweigh the pros and cons of a decision

Avoidance-avoidance conflicts

A conflict where a person has difficulty choosing between two undesirable options. They have to outweigh the issues for both conflicts.

Sensation-seeking theory

suggests that some people’s motivations come from a desire to see out new or exciting experiences.

Thrill seeking

Wanting to experience new things by doing risky or exciting activities

Adventure seeking

Wanting to experience new things by doing exciting and new activities

Disinhibition

Lack of typical and common regulation to do something risky; being impulsive and rash

Boredom Susceptibility

An avoidance of inadequate stimulation. A person refuses to be bored.

Ghrelin

a hormone produced in your stomach that signals your brain that it’s time to eat

Leptin

a hormone that your body releases to suppress appetite and decrease hunger

Hypothalmus

regulates the autonomic nervous system by producing and releasing hormones for things like respiration, sleep-wake cycles, and regulating body temperature.

Pituitary gland

a small pea-sized gland at the base of your brain which controls the other glands in your body to maintain vital bodily functions and general wellbeing

Affect

underlying experience of feeling, emotion, attachment, and mood. encompasses a wide range of emotional states

Internal factors

factors that you control

External factors

those that stem from your surroundings

Physiological vs Cognitive Experiences

Physiological is how your body responds to an emotion and cognitive is how we interpret emotions and think about situations

Cognitive Label

emotions arise from physical arousal and how we interpret the emotion

Facial-feedback hypothesis

suggests that individuals' emotional experiences are influenced by their facial expressions

Cognitive appraisal theory

the personal interpretation of a situation that ultimately influences the extent to which the situation is perceived as stressful

Display rules

a social group or culture's informal norms that distinguish how one should express oneself

Elicitors

stimuli or events that trigger an emotional response.

Health Psychology

a special area of psychology that focuses on how our mental, social, and cultural aspects of our lives impact our health. Disease, thought, and behavior are all linked.

Stress

a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation

Hypertension

a chronic medical condition characterized by an abnormally elevated blood pressure in the arteries (aka high blood pressure)

Immune suppression

decrease in the activation or efficacy of the immune system, leading to a reduced ability to fight off infections and diseases

Stressors

specific events or chronic pressures that place demands on a person or threaten the person's well-being

Eustress (motivation)

short-term, positive stress response involving optimal levels of stimulation

Distress (debilitating)

unpleasant emotions or feelings a person experiences when overwhelmed

Adverse Childhood experiences

disruptions to the promotion of safe, stable, and nurturing family relationships and are characterized by stressful or traumatic events that occur during an individual's first 18 years of life

General Adaptation Syndrome

describes the process your body goes through when you are exposed to any kind of stress, positive or negative. If not resolved, it can lead to physical and mental health problems

Alarm reaction phase

the initial stage in the body's response to stress, characterized by a burst of energy provided by adrenaline and other hormones

Resistance phase

the body attempts to resist or adapt to the stressor through continued activation of physiological responses

Flight-fight-freeze responses

an automatic physiological reaction to an event that is perceived as stressful or frightening. The perception of threat activates the sympathetic nervous system and triggers an acute stress response that prepares the body to fight or flee.

Exhaustion Phase

Struggling with stress for long periods can drain your physical, emotional, and mental resources to the point where your body no longer has strength to fight stress.

Problem-focused coping

a technique in which an individual addresses a problem directly as a way to eliminate it

Emotion-focused coping

using skills for processing and dealing with feelings that arise due to stressful situations

Positive psychology

focused on the character strengths and behaviors that allow individuals to build a life of meaning and purpose—to move beyond surviving to flourishing

Well-being

defined as the combination of feeling good and functioning well

Resilience

It's the ability to “bounce back” from difficult experiences

Positive emotions

an emotional reaction designed to express a positive affect, such as happiness when one attains a goal, relief when a danger has been avoided, or contentment when one is satisfied with the present state of affairs.

Gratitude

the feeling of thankfulness or happiness in response to either a tangible benefit (like a gift or a favor) or something intangible or happenstance (like a nice day)

Positive Subjective experiences

refer to valued feelings and emotions like happiness, contentment, satisfaction, hope, and optimism, which are central to understanding and promoting well-being

Happiness

a mental state of well-being shown by positive emotions such as contentment or intense joy

Subjective well-being

a person’s self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life

Categories of virtues (wisdom)

cognitive strengths like creativity, open-mindedness, and perspective

Categories of virtues (courage)

focuses on emotional strengths allowing a person to overcome challenges like bravery or persistence

Categories of virtue (Humanity)

focuses on positive relationships and social connections like love and kindness

Categories of virtue (Justice)

focuses on fairness and equity like leadership and forgiveness

Categories of virtue (temperance)

focuses on managing impulses and emotions which involves things like humility and forgiveness

categories of virtues (transcendence)

focuses on strengths that help individuals connect with things larger than themselves like appreciation of beauty, gratitude, and spirtuality

Post-traumatic growth

the positive psychological change that some individuals experience after a life crisis or traumatic event