Motivation and Emotion

Motivation

The ways in which our actions are aroused, maintained, and guided.

Need → Drive → Response → Goal → Need reduction

Biological Motives

Motives that are based on biological needs that must be met for survival.

Maintain body equilibrium.

2 types: Sleep, Hunger

Sleep (Biological motives)

Biological needs are governed by ‘Circadian Rhythms’, a biological clock regulating cycles of alertness and sleep.

The cyclical change in our body functions and arousal level.

Hunger (Biological Motives)

Hypothalamus regulates many motives including hunger and thirst.

external cues also influence behavior: taste, emotional eating, cultural factors.

Eating Disorders: Anorexia (self-starvation), Bulimia Nervosa (Excessive eating).

Stimulus Motives

Innate needs for stimulation and information, exploration, manipulation and sensory input.

Arousal theory: We try to keep arousal at an optimal level.

Learned Motives

Drives and goals are often social by nature or associated with concepts humans value.

McClelland Human motivation theory: We are driven by 3 primary needs.

Need for Achievement: Desire to meet an internal standard.

Need for Power: Desire to have impact or control.

Need for Affiliation: Desire to belong to a group and to be liked

Maslow hierarchy of Needs

Lower needs are dominant, and need to be satisfied before attaining higher needs.

Physiological needs, safety, love/belonging, self-esteem, self-actualization.

Types of Motivation

Intrinsic: Motivation coming from within, not from external rewards; personal enjoyment of a task.

Extrinsic: Based on external rewards or obligations.

Emotions

Amygdala: Part of limbic system that specializes in fear responses.

It receives sensory information directly, allowing us to respond quickly.

Lie Detectors

Polygraph: Device that records changes in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and galvanic skin response (GSR).

GSR: Measures sweating.

Polygraph measures autonomic nervous system arousal.

Emotional Expressions

Differences in theories explaining what happens as we experience emotions.

James Lange theory: Emotional feelings follow bodily arousal and awareness of such arousals.

Cannon-Bard Theory: Emotional feelings and physiological arousal occur at the same time.

Schachter & Singer’s Two-Factor Theory: Emotions occurs when we first experience physiological arousals (1st Factor), and then interpret a particular mental label (2nd Factor) to them.

• Labels are applied through ‘Attribution’.

• Attribution: Process of determining the cause to an event.

• Misattributions can occur.