Psychology - Chapter 7: Motivation & Behavior

motivation

the forces that activate & direct behavior

emotion

a complex internal state that involves physiological, cognitive, & behavioral components

evolutionary psychology

branch of psych that seeks to explain behavior in terms of its function

instincts

behaviors that occur w/ relatively little learning

reflex

automatic response/simple movements caused by a particular stimulus

ethology

field that seeks to study the behavior of animals in their natural habitat

modal action patterns

behaviors that occur in the same fashion, time and time again, & are present in nearly every individual; an automatic, built-in behavior sequence that an organism does when triggered by something in the environment

drives

internal forces that provide us with the energy & intensity to regain homeostasis

drive-reduction

occurs after we begin to reduce a need, when we begin to feel better

incentives

external cues that grab your attention & influence your behavior

arousal homeostasis

the level of alertness or sleepiness we feel at any given moment

homeostasis

fundamental concept of both physio & behavior, that there’s an optimal level for something

set point

the body weight or fat level that each of us seeks to maintain

satiety

state of feeling full

energy balance

ability to eat a sufficient amount of food to engage in all activities that cost energy

basal metabolic rate (BMR)

the amount of energy your body uses at rest just to keep you alive

body fat

how our bodies store energy

short & long term weight regulation

over time, your body seeks to consume the right amount of energy to maintain your weight at its set point

internal signals

signals in the brain & body (stuff happening inside you) that regulate hunger & satiety

hypothalamus

regulates body temp, hunger, thirst, & sexual behavior; link between brain & endocrine system; controls autonomic nervous system

insulin

chemical signal involved in regulating eating behavior, allow cells to take up sugar, increased levels suppress appetite

leptin

chemical signal involved in regulating eating behavior, released by fat cells, increased levels suppress appetite

external signals

environmental cues that influence hunger & satiety

classical conditioning

learning an association between meaningless stimulus to a meaningful response

operant behaviors

behaviors that are rewarded

palatability

tastiness of food

obesity

based on combo of height & weight

primary reinforcers

biological reinforcers; ex. water, food, sex, temperature, & air

novelty

need for newness

affiliation

need for social interaction & connection

achievement

(need for) mastery of a skill or significant accomplishment

competence

(need for) others to look to you for help b/c you are capable & in control of a situation

extrinsic motivation

behavior directed toward obtaining rewards that are outside ourselves

intrinsic motivation

behaviors driven by desires that are inside ourselves

self-determination

reward is fundamentally centered within the person who desires competence, relationships, & autonomy

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (inferior to superior)

physiological needs→safety needs→love & belonging needs→esteem needs→self-actualization

emotional intelligence

ability to recognize causes & consequences of feelings in self & others

basic emotions

the 6 emotions w/ great commonality across species; happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, surprise

dimensions

multiple continua along which emotions vary; ex. pleasant-unpleasant or activation

emblems

culture-specific signs that indicate & project a feeling about an issue

microexpressions

facial version of an emblem, appear & disappear very quickly

display rules

culture-specific, elaborate rules about when & where it is okay to express particular emotions

fight or flight response

coordinated set of activities that prepare the body for action

limbic system

part of the brain located between the cerebral cortex; forebrain structures

frontal cortex

part of the brain that evaluates info; has direct connections to the hypothalamus & amygdala

James-Lange theory of emotion

1. sympathetic NS is activates first

2. the conscious mind perceives the arousal as fear

facial-feedback hypothesis

the idea that when you make a certain facial expression, you start to actually feel the emotion that matches it

Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

both the sympathetic NS & conscious experience of an emotion are experienced simultaneously

appraisal

noticing/detecting stimuli & deciding if its relevant