Studied by 25 people
arousal theory
a theory of motivation suggesting that people are motivated to maintain an optimal level of alertness and physical and mental activation
motivation
a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior
instinct
a complex, unlearned behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species
drive-reduction theory
the idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need
homeostasis
a tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the regulation of any aspect of body chemistry (ex. blood glucose) around a particular level
incentive
a positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior
Yerkes-Dodson Law
the principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases
hierarchy of needs
Maslow's pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher-level safety needs and then psychological needs become active
glucose
the form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides the major source of energy for body tissues. When its level is low, we feel hunger
set point
the point at which an individual's "weight thermostat" is supposedly set. When the body falls below this weight, an increase in hunger and a lowered metabolic rate may act to restore the lost weight
basal metabolic rate
the body's resting rate of energy expenditure
sexual response cycle
the four stages of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnson - excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution
estrogens
sex hormones secreted in greater amounts by females than by males and contributing to female sex characteristics. In nonhuman female mammals, estrogen levels peak during ovulation, promoting sexual receptivity
testosterone
the most important of the male sex hormones. Both males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty
androgens
male sex hormones secreted by the testes
affiliation
need the need to build relationships and to feel part of a group (belonging)
ostracism
deliberate social exclusion of individuals or groups
approach-approach conflict
conflict occurring when a person must choose between two desirable goals
approach-avoidance conflict
conflict occurring when a person must choose or not choose a goal that has both positive and negative aspects
avoidance-avoidance conflict
conflict occurring when a person must choose between two undesirable goals
multiple approach-avoidance conflict
conflict in which one must choose between options that have both many attractive and many negative aspects
insulin
hormone secreted by pancreas; controls blood glucose
lateral hypothalamus
the part of the hypothalamus that produces hunger signals
ventromedial hypothalamus
the part of the hypothalamus that produces feelings of fullness and causes one to stop eating
satiety
the state of being satisfactorily full and unable to take on more
leptin
hormone that signals the hypothalamus and brain stem to reduce appetite and increase the amount of energy used
ghrelin
hormone secreted by empty stomach; sends "I'm hungry" signals to the brain
orexin
hunger-triggering hormone secreted by hypothalamus
anorexia nervosa
an eating disorder in which an irrational fear of weight gain leads people to starve themselves
bulimia nervosa
an eating disorder characterized by episodes of overeating, usually of high-calorie foods, followed by vomiting, laxative use, fasting, or excessive exercise
binge eating disorder
significant binge-eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust, or guilt, but without the compensatory purging, fasting, or excessive exercise that marks bulimia nervosa
flow
a completely involved, focused state of consciousness, with diminished awareness of self and time, resulting from optimal engagement of one's skills
need
basic requirement for survival
drive
an aroused/motivated state that occurs because of a physiological need
cognitive dissonance
unpleasant mental experience of tension resulting from two conflicting thoughts or beliefs
self-perception
we form attitudes/beliefs that are consistent with our behavior
optimal arousal theory
a theory of motivation stating that people are motivated to behave in ways that maintain what is, for them, an optimal level of arousal
cognitive consistency theory
individuals seek to maintain consistency in their thoughts
emotion
a response of the whole organism, involving
(1) physiological arousal
(2) expressive behaviors
(3) conscious experience
feeling
an emotional state or reaction
James-Lange Theory
the theory that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses to emotion-arousing stimuli
Cannon-Bard Theory
the theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers (1) physiological responses and (2) the subjective experience of emotion
two-factor theory
the Schachter-Singer theory that to experience emotion one must (1) be physically aroused and (2) cognitively label the arousal
sympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
parasympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
appraisal theory
a theory of emotion that proposes that emotions are based on an individual's assessment of a situation or an outcome and its relevance to his or her goals (Lazarus)
mood
a temporary state of mind or feeling
facial feedback hypothesis
the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings such as fear, anger, or happiness
display rules
culturally determined rules about which nonverbal behaviors are appropriate to display
microexpressions
small, brief facial movements that signal emotional experiences, even in people who have been trained to hide their emotions
universal emotions
happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, disgust, anger (HSSFDA)
most people can readily ID these emotions simply by observing facial expressions
primary emotions
emotions that are expressed by people in all cultures (ex. joy, anger, sadness, fear, and disgust)
secondary emotions
emotions composed of combinations of primary emotions (ex. remorse, guilt, submission, and anticipation)
theory of mind
people's ideas about their own and others' mental states—about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict
stress (stress reaction)
the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging
stressor
an event or situation that causes stress (ex. catastrophes, significant life changes, and daily hassles)
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
Selye's concept of the body's adaptive response to stress in three phases—alarm, resistance, exhaustion
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system
a major neuroendocrine pathway relevant to the stress response involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and the adrenal cortex
catharsis
the idea that "releasing" aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges
relative deprivation principle
the perception that we are happier if we can see that others are worse off (and vice versa)
adaptation-level phenomenon
tendency people have to quickly adapt to a new situation, until that situation becomes the norm (ex. something makes us happy, but then we need something even better to stay happy)
2 dimensions of emotion
valence: pleasant to unpleasant
arousal: low to high arousal
extrinsic motivation
a desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment
intrinsic motivation
a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake
overjustification effect
the result of bribing people to do what they already like doing; they may then see their actions as externally controlled rather than intrinsically appealing
limbic system
neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) associated with emotions and drives
type a
Friedman and Rosenman's term for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people
type b
Friedman and Rosenman's term for easygoing, relaxed people
locus of control
a person's tendency to perceive the control of rewards as internal to the self or external in the environment
coping methods
the behaviors, thinking, and emotional processes that a person uses to handle stress and continue to function
Paul Eckman
concluded facial expressions carry same meaning regardless of culture, context, or language (universal). Use of microexpressions to detect lying.
Abraham Maslow
humanistic psychologist known for his "Hierarchy of Needs" and the concept of "self-actualization"
Alfred Kinsey
his research described human sexual behavior and was controversial (for its methodology & findings)
self-actualization
one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved; the motivation to fulfill one's potential (Maslow)
unconditional positive regard
an attitude of total acceptance toward another person (Rogers)
self-concept
all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?"
genuineness
when people are genuine, they are open with their own feelings, drop their facades, and are transparent and self-disclosing (Rogers)
self-esteem
one's feelings of high or low self-worth
self-efficacy
one's sense of competence and effectiveness
incongruence
the degree of disparity between one's self-concept and one's actual experience
Carl Rogers
humanistic who founded person-centered therapy, theory that emphasizes the unique quality of humans especially their freedom and potential for personal growth, unconditional positive regard, fully functioning person
arousal
an increase in reactivity or wakefulness that primes us for some kind of action
projective test
a personality test, such as the Rorschach or TAT, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of one's inner dynamics (psychoanalytic)
Roschach inkblot test
the most widely used projective test, a set of 10 inkblots, designed by Hermann Roschach; seeks to identify people's inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots
factor analysis
a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called factors) on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a person's total score
self-report inventories
personality tests that ask individuals to answer a series of questions about their characteristic behavior
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests. Originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered its most appropriate use), this test is now used for many other screening purposes
personality inventory (MMPI)
a questionnaire (often with true-false or agree-disagree items) on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personality traits.
Minnesota Twin Study
has found impressive similarities in personality between people who have the same genetic make up
Barnum effect (Forer effect)
the tendency to accept certain information as true, such as character assessments or descriptions, even when the information is so vague as to be worthless
Carl Jung
neo-Freudian who created concept of "collective unconscious" and wrote books on dream interpretation
unconscious
according to Freud, a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware
fixation
according to Freud, a lingering focus of pleasure-seeking energies at an earlier psychosexual stage, in which conflicts were unresolved
Note 
Flashcard (67)