Unit 7: Motivation, Emotion, Stress

instinct (evolutionary) theory

(motivation theory) a complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned (now replaced with the evolutionary perspective)

focuses on genetically predisposed behaviors

support: explanation for adaptive value of behavior

critique: too many, just named them but not explain

drive-reduction theory (HULL)

(motivation theory) the idea that a physiological stress creates an aroused state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need

focuses on how we respond to our inner pushes and pulls

support: explains motivations that satisfy basic biological needs required for survival

critique: doesn’t explain risk taking or curiosity, or when people eat after they are full

homeostasis

a tendency to maintain a balanced, constant internal state; the regulation of any aspect of body chemistry, such as blood glucose, around a particular level

incentive theory

(motivation theory) a positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior

support: explains motivations not related to bio homeostasis

critique: not all can be explained, ex altruism

optimum arousal

(yerkes-dodson law) a level of mental stimulation at which physical performance, learning, or temporary feeling of well-being are maximized

people perform best when their arousal level is neither too low nor too high

support: explains personal needs

critique: doesn’t explain some as well as other theories

yerkes-dodson law

the principal that performance increases with arousal only up to a certain point, beyond which performance decreases

(moderate arousal leads to optimal performance)

hierarchy of needs (MASLOW)

maslow’s pyramid of human needs

top ^

• self-actualization

• esteem needs

• belongingness and love needs

• safety needs

• physiological needs

base ^

support: bio and safety first (allows for some to be stronger than others)

critique: too simplistic, arbitrary, doesn’t need to be 100% satisfied, varies across cultures, not motivated by a single need

self-actualization

(hierarchy of needs) very top of the triangle; last (fifth) need that has to be fulfilled after esteem needs have been met

desire to become the most that one can be

esteem needs

(hierarchy of needs) second section from the top of the triangle; fourth need that has to be fulfilled after love and belonging needs have been met

need for respect, self-esteem, status, recognition, strength, freedom

love and belonging needs

(hierarchy of needs) middle section of the triangle; third need that has to be fulfilled after safety needs have been met

need for friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection

safety needs

(hierarchy of needs) second section of the triangle from the base; second need that has to be fulfilled after physiological needs have been met

need for personal security, employment, resources, health, property

physiological needs

(hierarchy of needs) base of the triangle; first need that has to be fulfilled before any others

need for food, water, air, sex, warmth, rest, etc.

ancel keys research

group of men fed the same for three months, then 30 men got intake halved

result was that people with the lower intake were food focused, not wanting other things like sex

(refer to hierarchy of needs)

washburn and cannon research

washburn swallowed a balloon which expanded and contrasted in his stomach with a camera inside, he had to press a button when he felt hunger

result was that hunger signals are linked to stomach contractions

lateral hypothalamus

part of brain that stimulates hunger in a person

stomach sends ghrelin (signals to brain) → produces orexin (hunger hormone)

location: both sides of hypothalamus

destruction: no appetite, little interest in food

ventromedial hypothalamus

part of the brain that makes you feel full

leptin produced by fat cells - when abundant causes brain to increase metabolism and lower apatite

location: lower middle area of hypothalamus

destruction: can’t stop eating

set point

the point at which your “weight thermostat” may be set

when your body falls below this weight, increased hunger and a lower metabolic rate may combine to restore your lost weight

basal metabolic rate

the body’s resting rate of energy output

ghrelin

(hormone) released by an empty stomach, signals hunger to the brain

orexin

(hormone) released by the lateral hypothalamus, signals hunger to the individual

leptin

(hormone) released by fat cells, decreases hunger and increases metabolism

PYY

(hormone) released by digestive tract, signals fullness to the brain

anorexia nervosa

(eating disorder) when an individual (usually adolescent female) diets and becomes significantly (15%+) underweight, yet, still feeling fat, continues to starve

bulimia nervosa

(eating disorder) characterized by episodes of overeating, usually of high-calorie foods, followed by vomiting, laxative use, fasting, or excessive exercise

binge eating

(eating disorder) significant caloric intake, followed by distress, disgust, or guilt, but without the compensatory purging, fasting, or excessive exercise that make bulimia nervosa

refractory period

(human sexuality) a resting period that occurs after orgasm, during which a person cannot achieve another orgasm (it is longer in men than in women)

estrogen

(sex hormone) contribute to the female sex characteristics and are secreted more in women than in men

peaks during ovulation

in nonhuman animals, this promotes sexual receptivity

ex: estradiol

testosterone

(sex hormone) contribute to male sex characteristics; both men and women contain (more in men)

fetal period: additional amounts in males stimulates male sex organ growth

puberty: development of the male sex characteristics

affiliation

the need to build relationships and to feel part of a group

social motivation

benefits of belonging

• a sense of belonging → healthier, live longer, happier

pain of being shut out

• (ostracism) like real pain, worse health (physical and mental), aggression

flow

a complete involved, focused state, with diminished awareness of self and time; results from full engagement of our skills

ex: hyperfocus (type of this)

industrial-organizational psychology

the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in the workplace

personal psychology

(industrial-organizational psychology) a sub-field that helps with job seeking, and with employee recruitment, selection, placement, training, appraisal, and development

organizational psychology

(industrial-organizational psychology) a sub-field that examines organizational influences on worker satisfaction and productivity, and facilitates organizational change

human factors

a field of psychology allied with I/O psych that explores how people and machines interact, and how machines and physical environment can be made safe and easy to use

achievement motivation

a desire for significant accomplishment, for mastery of skills or ideas, for control, and for attaining a high standard

grit

in psych, passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals

task leadership

goal-oriented leadership that sets standards, organizes work, and focuses attention on goals

social leadership

group-oriented leadership that builds teamwork, mediates conflict, and offers support

james-lange theory

(emotion theory) the theory that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses to an emotion-arousing stimulus

stimulus → arousal → emotion

ex) we observe our heart racing after a threat and then feel afraid

cannon-bard theory

(emotion theory) the theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers (1) physiological responses and (2) the subjective experience of emotion

ex: our heart races at the same time that we feel afraid

two-factor theory (SCHACHTER + SINGER)

(emotion theory) the schuchter-singer theory that to experience emotion one must (1) be physically aroused and (2) cognitively label the arousal

* arousal fuels emotion; cognition channels it

ex - we may interpret our arousal as fear or excitement, depending on the context

opponent process

(emotion theory) where one wants a balance of emotions; fear will eventually switch to relief, sadness to happiness, etc.

hijack theory (ZAJONC + rover)

(emotion theory) emotions are felt before we think

ex: we like people right away (for some reason)

cognitive appraisal (LAZARUS)

(emotion theory) where you think before you have an emotion; involves primary and secondary examination

first we look at how the event will effect us, then how to deal with it (unconsciously)

ex) the sound is “just the wind”

really good at explaining love, hate, and guilt

facial feedback effect

the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings such as fear, anger, or happiness

behavior feedback effect

the tendency of behavior to influence our own and others’ thoughts, feelings, and actions

polygraph

a machine used in attempts to detect lies that measures several of the physiological responses (such as perspiration, heart rate, and breathing changes) accompanying emotion

stress (CANNON)

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging

stressors

the cause of stress, any challenge that threatens homeostasis (three types)

• catastrophe

• significant life change

• daily hassles

general adaptation syndrome (SELYE)

selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases - alarm, resistance, exhaustion

• alarm - fight/flight responses

• resistance - protection

• exhaustion - total depletion

psychological illness

physical disorders with psychological overlays

like hypertension, headaches

ex: anxiety, depression, etc

low road (LEDOUX)

(dual path theory) fast tract

eye → thalamus → amygdala

(fear)

high road (LEDOUX)

(dual path theory) slow tract

eye → thalamus → sensory/prefrontal cortex for interpretation

tend-and-befriend response

under stress, people (especially women) often provide support to others, and bond with and seek support from others

motivational conflicts theory (LEWIN)

This theory, proposed by psychologist Kurt Lewin, suggests that individuals are motivated to resolve conflicts that can be categorized into three types: approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, and approach-avoidance

approach-approach

(motivational conflict) least stressful type of conflict in which two attractive but incompatible goals pull us

ex) going to a sporting event or for pizza

avoidance-avoidance

(motivational conflict) conflict between two undesirable alternatives

ex) avoiding studying a disliked subject or avoid failure by doing the reading

approach-avoidance

(motivational conflict) we feel simultaneously attracted and repelled

ex) cool shoes but pay a lot or lame shoes but have money

double approach-avoidance

(motivational conflict) when there is a pro and con for each option

ex) school in wisco → cold but near family

school in Arizona → hot but no family

psychoneuro-immunology

the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect the immune system and resulting health

type A

friedman and roseman’s term for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive (straight-forward/direct), and anger prone people

type B

friedman and roseman’s term for easygoing, relaxed people

health psychology

a sub-field of psychology that provides psychology’s contribution to behavioral medicine

social support

people with more social connections tend to live longer (promotes happiness and health)

aerobic exercise

sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness; also helps alleviate depression and anxiety

biofeedback

a system for electronically recording, amplifying, and feeding back info regarding a subtle psychological state, such as blood pressure or muscle tension

clark hull

1884-1952; Field: motivation; Contributions: maintains that the goal of all motivated behavior is the reduction or alleviation of a drive state, mechanism through which reinforcement operates

drive reduction theory

Abraham maslow

1908-1970; Field: humanism; Contributions: hierarchy of needs-needs at a lower level dominate an individual's motivation as long as they are unsatisfied, self-actualization, transcendence

sexual response cycle (MASTERS + JOHNSON)

the 4 stages of sexual responding described by masters and johnson - excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution

research - conducted this research by observing volunteers while they engaged in sexual activity, both alone and in pairs

sexual activity (KINSEY)

researched this by manipulation sex hormones

alfred kinsey

the first major scientist to analyze human sexual behavior in the US

also made many contributions like the kinsey scale (testing for homosexuality)

adaption-level phenomenon

our tendency to form judgements (of sounds, lights, income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience

tax accountant research

when tax accountants had a stressful deadline approaching, stress increased rise of heart disease

cholesterol and clotting measurements rose to dangerous levels

optimism and health

optimism is linked to lower risk of heart disease

* moods matter

lymphocytes

the 2 types of white blood cells that are part of the body’s immune system

b lymphocytes

(lymphocytes) from in the bone marrow and release antibodies that fight bacterial infections

t lymphocytes

(lymphocytes) form in the thymus and other lymphatic tissue and attack cancer cells, viruses, and foreign substances

mindfulness meditation

a reflective practice in which people attend to current experiences in a nonjudgmental and accepting manner

faith communities and health

religious people tend to live longer (called faith factor)

correlation not causation

religion generally promotes healthy behaviors, social support, and positive emotions