Motivation and Emotion Review Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key theories of motivation (Evolutionary, Behaviorist, Humanist, Implicit Motives, Achievement Goal, and Self-Determination) and theories of emotion and emotion regulation.

Motivation

A process reflected in the initiation, direction, magnitude, and continuation of goal-directed behavior, characterized by what people want to do (goal) and how strongly they want to do it (intensity).

Motives

The 'why' behind behavior, which can include biological or social needs, wants, interests, and desires.

Evolutionary Perspective of Motivation

The view that motives are instinctual, innate, and selected based on their ability to maximize reproductive success or inclusive fitness.

Drive Reduction Theory (Hull)

A behaviorist theory suggesting motivation arises from biological needs that create internal states of tension (drives), which the individual seeks to reduce to restore homeostasis.

Primary Drives

Innate, biological drives such as hunger and thirst.

Secondary Drives

Drives learned through conditioning or learning, such as the motivation to acquire money.

Self-Actualization

A humanistic concept, advocated by Maslow, referring to the need to fulfill one’s potential and utilize one's abilities or talents.

Deficiency Needs

Needs arising due to deprivation, including physiological, safety, belongingness, and esteem needs, which must be satisfied to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Implicit Motive Theory (McClelland)

The theory that human behavior is driven by unconscious, affective needs, specifically the 'Big Three': Need for Achievement ($nAch$), Need for Power ($nPow$), and Need for Affiliation ($nAff$).

Operant Motives Task (OMT)

An indirect measurement method for implicit motives where participants answer open-ended questions about a character in a situation to code for power, achievement, and affiliation content.

Achievement Goal Theory

The theory that motivation in achievement settings is influenced by a person’s desire to demonstrate competence and avoid demonstrating incompetence.

Mastery-Approach Goal

The desire to complete a task for the purpose of self-improvement and learning as much as possible.

Performance-Approach Goal

The desire to complete a task to outperform a peer group, achieve the appearance of superiority, and receive an extrinsic reward.

Mastery-Avoidance Goal

The desire to avoid a task due to the fear of not learning as much as necessary to complete it.

Performance-Avoidance Goal

The desire to avoid a task to evade embarrassment, shame, self-doubt, or public failure.

Atkinson’s Theory of Achievement Motivation

The core idea that $\text{Motivation} = \text{expectancy} \times \text{value}$, where individuals choose tasks based on their probability of success and the value of that success.

Mastery Climate

A situational motivational environment where emphasis is placed on effort, personal improvement, and skill development.

Performance Climate

A situational motivational environment where emphasis is placed on normative comparison (winning) and public evaluation.

TARGET

An acronym for developing a mastery climate: Task, Authority, Recognition, Grouping, Evaluation, and Time.

Self-Determination Theory (SDT)

A meta-theory by Deci and Ryan focusing on the quality of motivation and the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.

Intrinsic Motivation

Engaging in an activity for inherent enjoyment or pleasure with no discernible external reward.

Extrinsic Motivation

Engaging in behavior for external reinforcements or to avoid punishments.

External Regulation

A type of extrinsic motivation where behavior is controlled by external means, such as pressure from others.

Introjected Regulation

Engagement in behavior to avoid external sources of disapproval or to gain externally referenced approval (e.g., avoiding shame).

Identified Regulation

Behavior engaged in because it aligns with personally held values or benefits.

Integrated Regulation

The most self-determined form of extrinsic motivation, where behavior is integral to an individual's self-identity.

Basic Psychological Needs (SDT)

The three requirements for intrinsic motivation: Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness.

Emotion

An evaluative response involving physiological arousal, subjective experience, and behavioral expression.

Moods

Durable feeling states that may not be paired with specific physiological patterns or facial expressions.

Affect

The pattern of observable behaviors that expresses an individual’s emotions.

Basic Emotions (Ekman)

Six cross-culturally recognized emotions: Happy, Sad, Fear, Anger, Surprise, and Disgust.

Complex/Self-Conscious Emotions (Lewis)

Emotions that differ across cultures and involve self-evaluation, such as shame, embarrassment, guilt, and pride.

Display Rules

Cultural or subcultural norms that govern which emotional expressions are considered appropriate.

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

The proposal that making a facial expression can cause or alter one's emotional state by sending sensory information to the brain.

Duchenne Smile

A genuine smile involving specific muscle activation that has been shown to lower heart rate and reduce stress-induced physiological responses.

PERMA Model

A model from positive psychology suggesting happiness comes from five dimensions: Positive emotions, Engagement, Positive relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.

Emotion Regulation

The processes by which individuals monitor, evaluate, and modify emotional reactions to meet goals or expectations.

Gross’ Process Model of Emotion Regulation

A model outlining five strategy families: Situation selection, Situation modification, Attention deployment, Cognitive reappraisal, and Response modulation.

Antecedent-focused Strategies

Emotion regulation strategies used before an emotion is fully generated, generally considered more effective than response-focused strategies.

Response-focused Strategies

Emotion regulation strategies like suppression or response modulation used after an emotion is triggered, which can be harmful.