Comprehensive Psychology: Motivation, Emotions, Gender & Sexuality

Motivation

Biological, emotional, cognitive, or social forces that activate and direct behavior.

Characteristics of Motivation

Activation, Persistence, Intensity.

Instinct Theory

Behaviors are unlearned, genetically programmed patterns.

Drive-Reduction Theory

Physiological needs create arousal that drives behavior to restore homeostasis. (aka you feel hungry so you get up and eat )

Incentives

Positive/negative stimuli that influence motivation.

Arousal Theory

People seek an optimal level of stimulation.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Basic Needs: Physiological & Safety; Psychological Needs: Belongingness & Love, Esteem; Growth Needs: Self-Actualization, Self-Transcendence.

Self-Determination Theory

Motivation depends on satisfying three needs: Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness.

Achievement Motivation

Drive to succeed, excel, or outperform others.

Eating Behavior

Positive incentive value, evolutionary perspective, satiation.

Emotions

A complex state involving physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience (thoughts/feelings).

Moods

Longer-lasting, diffuse, no specific facial expression.

James-Lange Theory

we experience emotions after our bodies have physiological(emotion or mental) reactions to an external stimulus

Cannon-Bard Theory

Emotion and bodily arousal occur simultaneously.

Two-Factor Theory

Emotions require arousal + cognitive label.

Cognitive Appraisal Theory

Emotion requires interpretation/evaluation.

Autonomic Nervous System

Sympathetic = arousal; Parasympathetic = calming.

Fight or Flight Response

Triggered by stress hormones (adrenaline, norepinephrine).

Amygdala

Brain's emotional control center.

Emotional Intelligence

Recognizing, understanding, and managing emotions in self and others.

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

Expressions can intensify emotions.

Sex

Biological differences (genetics, anatomy).

Gender

Social, cultural, psychological meanings of masculinity & femininity.

Testosterone

Key hormone in sexual activity and motivation.

Sexual Dysfunction

Disturbances in desire, arousal, release.

Sexual Orientation

Emotional/erotic attraction to same, opposite, or both sexes.

Gender Identity

One's internal sense of gender.

Gender Dysphoria

Distress from mismatch between biological sex and gender identity.

Paraphilias

Unusual sexual behaviors/targets (objects, children, non-consent, suffering) that must last 6+ months and cause distress.

sexual response cycle

the four stages of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnson—excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution

refractory period

last stage,a resting period after orgasm,

Excitement Phase

the first stage in the sexual response cycle where there's an initiation or increase in physical arousal such as increased heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.

Plateau Phase

part two of four stages within the human sexual response cycle where changes initiated in excitement phase are intensified. Arousal continues to increase towards a peak.

Orgasm Phase

This is typically considered as climax or peak of sexual activity where involuntary muscle contractions occur along with release of sexual tension.

stress