Chapter 8: Motivation and Emotion

Flashcards covering key concepts from CHAPTER 8: Motivation and Emotion, based on the provided notes.

What are the three basic aspects of motivation defined in this chapter?

Needs, drives, and incentives.

What is a motive in motivational theory?

A hypothetical state that activates behavior and directs us toward goals; inferred from behavior.

What are physiological vs. psychological needs?

Physiological needs are for survival (oxygen, food, water, etc.); psychological needs include achievement, power, belonging, and esteem.

What is a drive?

An arousal state that arises from deprivation and motivates action to reduce that deprivation.

What is homeostasis?

The tendency to maintain a steady internal state; like a thermostat maintaining body balance.

What is an incentive?

An object, a person, or a situation perceived as capable of satisfying a need or desirable for its own sake.

What is the evolutionary perspective on motivation?

Humans and animals may have inherited tendencies or instincts for survival and social behavior; instincts in humans are debated.

What is an instinct in psychology?

An inherited disposition to activate fixed action patterns that help an organism reach specific goals.

What is the 'search for stimulation' in motivation?

Motivation to seek new and stimulating experiences rather than reduce tension.

What did the McGill sensory deprivation study demonstrate?

Sensory deprivation produced boredom, irritability, and difficulty concentrating; highlights the drive to seek stimulation.

What is the difference between primary drives and acquired drives?

Primary drives arise from physiological needs (hunger, thirst); acquired drives develop through experience (money, social approval).

What roles do the VMN and the lateral hypothalamus play in hunger?

VMN acts as a stop-eating center; stimulation reduces eating; lesions cause hyperphagia. The LH acts as a start-eating center; stimulation increases eating; destruction can cause aphagia.

What is the sham feeding experiment?

Dogs with tubes that prevent food from reaching the stomach still show satiety after chewing and swallowing, indicating satiety signals.

What regulates hunger besides stomach signals?

The hypothalamus (especially VMN/LH), blood glucose levels, and receptors in the liver.

What factors contribute to being overweight or obesity?

Heredity, adaptive thermogenesis, fat-to-muscle ratio, and an obesogenic environment with abundant high-sugar/fat foods and advertising.

What are psychological influences on hunger?

Emotions, stress, boredom, and environmental cues (like watching TV) can increase eating.

What is anorexia nervosa?

A life-threatening eating disorder characterized by extreme fear of weight gain, dramatic weight loss, distorted body image, and refusal to maintain a healthy weight.

What is bulimia nervosa?

An eating disorder characterized by cycles of binge eating followed by purging or other compensatory behaviors.

What is the female athlete triad?

Low energy availability, menstrual problems, and loss of bone density in female athletes.

What factors contribute to origins of eating disorders?

Genetic predisposition, sociocultural pressures toward thinness, family dynamics, and history of abuse.

What is estrus?

Periodic sexual receptivity in many female mammals; females are receptive to males during estrus.

How do sex hormones influence sexual motivation?

They promote development and regulation of sexual anatomy and cycles and have activating effects on sexual behavior and desire.

What are Masters and Johnson's four phases of the sexual response cycle?

Excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

What is the refractory period?

A period after orgasm in which a man cannot have another orgasm; women do not have a refractory period.

What is sexual orientation?

The direction of romantic/erotic attraction toward the same sex, the other sex, or both.

What is gender identity?

One’s internal sense of being male, female, or somewhere in between; may be transgender.

What does pansexual mean?

Attracted to people regardless of gender.

What is achievement motivation, and how is it assessed?

Motivation to achieve; often assessed with the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT); high achievement motivation is linked to success.

What is the James–Lange theory of emotion?

Emotions arise from perceiving physiological arousal and action.

What is the Cannon–Bard theory of emotion?

Emotions and arousal occur simultaneously after processing the event in the brain.

What is the Schachter–Singer two‑factor theory?

Emotions arise from physiological arousal plus cognitive labeling of the situation.

What is the cognitive appraisal view of emotion?

Emotions depend on how we interpret or appraise events and our social context.

What is the facial‑feedback hypothesis?

Facial expressions can influence emotional experience; e.g., smiling can boost mood.

What did Ekman find about universal facial expressions?

Basic emotions (happiness, anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise) are universally recognized across cultures.

What is positive psychology?

The study of well-being, happiness, optimism, and personal fulfillment; genetics influence happiness; smiling can raise mood.

What are polygraphs and what are their limitations?

Lie detectors measure autonomic arousal; their accuracy is debated, and results are not always admissible in court.

What types of harassment are highlighted in the MeToo context?

Gender harassment, attempts at seduction, bribery, sexual coercion, and physical coercion.

What are practical weight-control strategies suggested in the chapter?

Track calories, substitute lower-calorie foods, plan portions, increase physical activity, use cognitive-behavioral techniques.