Motivation Unit Seven

Motivation

A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior.

Instinct

A complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned.

Physiological need

A basic bodily requirement.

Drive Reduction Theory

The idea that a physiological need creates an aroused state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need.

Homeostasis

A tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state, such as blood glucose regulation.

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, starting with physiological needs.

Glucose

The form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides energy for body tissues.

Set Point

The point at which your 'weight thermostat' may be set.

Basal metabolic rate

The body’s resting rate of energy output.

Obesity

Defined as a body mass index (BMI) measurement of 30 or higher.

Asexual

Having no sexual attraction to others.

Testosterone

The most important male sex hormone, stimulating male characteristics.

Estrogens

Sex hormones that contribute to female sex characteristics.

Sexual response cycle

The four stages of sexual responding: excitement, plateau, orgasm, resolution.

Refractory Period

A resting period after orgasm during which another orgasm cannot occur.

Affiliation Need

The need to build relationships and feel part of a group.

Ostracism

Deliberate social exclusion of individuals or groups.

Narcissism

Excessive self-love and self-absorption.

Achievement Motivation

A desire for significant accomplishment and mastery.

Grit

Passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals.

Emotion

A response involving physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience.

James-Lange Behavior

The theory that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses.

Cannon-Bard Theory

The theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus triggers physiological responses and subjective experience.

Two-factor theory

The theory that to experience emotion, one must be physically aroused and cognitively label the arousal.

Polygraph

A machine used to detect lies by measuring physiological responses.

Facial Feedback effect

The tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings.

Behavior Feedback Effect

The tendency of behavior to influence our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Stress

The process of perceiving and responding to stressors.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

The body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases: alarm, resistance, exhaustion.

Tend-and-befriend response

Under stress, people often provide support to others and seek support for themselves.

Health Psychology

A subfield of psychology that contributes to behavioral medicine.

Psychoneuroimmunology

The study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes affect the immune system.

Coronary Heart Disease

The clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle.

Type A

Competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive individuals.

Type B

Easygoing, relaxed individuals.

Catharsis

The idea that 'releasing' aggressive energy relieves aggressive urges.

Aerobic Exercise

Exercise that enhances cardiovascular fitness.

Mindfulness Meditation

A practice of attending to current experiences nonjudgmentally.

Feel-good, do-good phenomenon

People’s tendency to be helpful when in a good mood.

Positive Psychology

The scientific study of human flourishing and strengths.

Subjective well-being

Self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life.

Adaptation-level phenomenon

The tendency to form judgments relative to a neutral level defined by prior experience.

Relative deprivation

The perception that one is worse off relative to peers.

Orexin

a neuropeptide that regulates arousal, wakefulness, and appetite.