psyc 332 book notes ( chapter 6 - 10 )

Motivation

What we want and believe to be true in the world.

Child theory of mind

Asserts that children have desires/wants in their minds that they act upon, guided by belief.

Prime motivations for human behavior

Survive and reproduce, basic psychological needs leading to conscious and unconscious life goals.

American behaviorist perspective

All behavior can be traced back to an organism's effort to satisfy basic drives such as hunger and thirst.

Freud's motivations

Sex (eros) and aggression (thanatos) as motivations for human behavior.

Carl Jung's concept

Developing or self-actualizing the self through individuation.

Evolutionary psychology (David Buss)

Focuses on motives involved with mate attraction, selection, procreation, and social alliances.

Intrinsic motivation

The rewarding power of activity is intrinsic to the activity itself.

Extrinsic motivation

Aimed at obtaining rewards from the environment or avoiding punishments.

Self-determination theory

Intrinsically motivated behavior is self-determined; behavior not intrinsically motivated feels controlled.

Three basic psychological needs

1) Need for autonomy, 2) Need for competence, 3) Need for relatedness.

Need for autonomy

Desire to feel independent from external pressure and make decisions according to one's will.

Need for competence

Striving to control outcomes and experience mastery in dealing with the environment.

Need for relatedness

Striving to care for others and feel a sense of belonging.

Controlled behavior

Occurs when striving to meet demands of external/internal forces, feeling intentional but externally motivated.

Effectance

Drive to be an effective agent in the environment; satisfaction leads to a sense of competence.

Achievement motive

Desire to perform well and strive for success against a standard of excellence.

Power motivation

Desire to feel strong and have a forceful impact on one's environment.

Affiliation motivation

Connections people feel to groups.

Intimacy motivation

Quality of one-on-one relationships, associated with greater happiness.

Approach motivation

Pursuing goals to obtain a reward.

Avoidance motivation

Pursuing goals to avoid punishment, linked to higher neuroticism.

Regulatory focus theory

People orient themselves to the future, regulating actions by promotion and prevention focus principles.

Promotion focus principle

Aims to promote the self by approaching rewarding situations.

Prevention focus principle

Aims to protect the self by preventing harm.

What do personal goals do

Orient motivated agents toward the future.

Dispositional traits

Convey how a social actor performs emotions and interacts with others.

Self-concordant goal selection

Selection of goals consistent with underlying motivations, skills, and talents.

Moratorium

Exploring occupational goals and values without commitment.

Identity achieved

Explored options and committed to specific goals, leading to greater self-esteem.

Foreclosure

Settling on commitments without exploration, leading to extrinsic life goals.

Diffusion

No exploration or commitment; lack of direction.

Midlife reviews

Adults reviewing their paths and developing new pursuits.

Primary control strategies

Actively changing the environment to fit goals.

Secondary control strategies

Changing the self to adjust to environmental limitations.

Individualistic cultures (goals)

Prioritize personal goals over group goals.

Collectivist cultures ( goals)

Prioritize group goals over individual goals.

What people high in A prioritize

Relational goals

What motivation do people high in C prioritize

Achievement and power goals

Openness to experience

Associated with hedonistic and aesthetic goals.

Extraversion ( goal setting)

Predicts having many different kinds of goals.

Andrei Sakharov (physicist)

High on conscientiousness and openness to experience.

Mother Teresa

High on agreeableness, with religious animating values.

Darwin's theory on morality

Human morality evolved from social instincts shared with other animals.

Developed moral sensibilities

Respect for property, cooperation in child care, and communication to educate.

Jonathan Haidt's view on morals

Humans have strong moral reactions to violations in five areas of social life.

Steps in becoming a moral agent

Making explicit moral judgments and evaluating agent's intentionality.

Role of religion

Builds community and promotes cooperation among groups.

Heritability of religiosity

Increases with age and is connected to personality traits.

Motivated social cognition

Formulation of social attitudes and values that meet underlying needs.

Political conservatives

Score higher on death anxiety and fear of loss.

Political liberals

Score higher on tolerance for uncertainty and openness to experience.

Cohort effects

Differences in generations due to historical experiences.