Studied by 3 people
Motivation
a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior
instinct
a complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned
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, such as blood glucose
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 hungry
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
refractory period
a resting period after orgasm, during which a man cannot achieve another orgasm
sexual dysfunction
a problem that consistently impairs sexual arousal or functioning
emotion
a response of the whole organism
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
polygraph
a machine, commonly used in attempts to detect lies, that measures several of the physiological responses accompanying emotion (such as perspiration and cardiovascular and breathing changes).
facial feedback effect
the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings such as fear, anger, or happiness
Catharsis
a release of emotional tension
feel-good do-good phenomenon
people's tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood
adaptation-level phenomenon
our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, of lights, of income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience
relative deprivation
the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself
health psychology
a subfield of psychology that provides psychology's contribution to behavioral medicine
Stress
the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging
General Adaptation Syndrome
Seyle's concept that the body responds to stress with alarm, resistance and exhaustion
tend and befriend
under stress, people (especially women) often provide support to others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend)
Psycho-physiological Illness
literally any stress-related physical illness such as hypertension and some headaches
Psychoneuroimmunology
the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect the immune system and resulting health
Lymphocytes
The two types of white blood cells that are part of the body's immune system: B lymphocytes form in the bone marrow and release antibodies that fight bacterial infections, T lymphocytes form in the thymus and other lymphatic tissue and attack cancer cells
coronary heart disease
the clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle, the leading cause of death in many developed countries
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