Key Terms from Units 4.7-5.1

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terms and definitions from Units 4.7 to 5.1.

Motivation

The process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-directed behavior, involving biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces.

Instinct Theory

The view that behavior is driven by innate, fixed patterns (instincts), emphasizing evolutionary survival.

Drive-Reduction Theory

Motivation arises from biological needs that create drives to reduce internal tension, focusing on homeostasis.

Arousal Theory

Suggests that an optimal level of arousal motivates performance, with individual differences affecting outcomes.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

A pyramid model of human needs where lower needs must be met before pursuing higher-level growth.

Physiological Needs

Basic biological requirements (e.g., food, water, shelter) essential for survival.

Homeostasis

The body’s tendency to maintain internal balance, with behavior aimed at restoring equilibrium.

Incentives

External rewards or stimuli that motivate behavior, which can be positive or negative.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

States that performance increases with arousal to an optimal point, then declines, depending on task difficulty.

Affiliation Need

The desire to form close, interpersonal relationships, driving social connection and belonging.

Self-Determination Theory

Theory emphasizing autonomy, competence, and relatedness in motivation, distinguishing intrinsic from extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsically Motivated

Engaging in an activity for its own sake, driven by internal rewards.

Extrinsically Motivated

Engaging in behavior to earn external rewards or avoid punishment, influenced by external factors.

Ostracism

Being excluded or ignored by others, which can lead to emotional distress and reduced self-esteem.

Achievement Motivation

The drive to pursue and accomplish challenging goals, varying among individuals.

Grit

Perseverance and passion for long-term goals, indicating resilience despite obstacles.

Social Desirability Bias

The tendency to answer questions in a manner viewed favorably by others, distorting self-report measures.

Lewin’s Motivational Conflict Theory

Describes conflicts between opposing drives or goals influencing decision-making.

Glucose

A simple sugar that serves as the body’s primary energy source, essential for brain function.

Set Point

The hypothesized internal regulation of body weight, influenced by genetics and physiology.

Orexin

A neuropeptide regulating arousal, wakefulness, and appetite, promoting food intake.

Leptin

A hormone produced by fat cells that inhibits hunger and signals satiety.

Ghrelin

A hormone that stimulates appetite, produced mainly in the stomach, often called the 'hunger hormone'.

PYY (Peptide YY)

A hormone that reduces appetite after eating, contributing to feelings of fullness.

Basal Metabolic Rate

The rate at which the body uses energy while at rest, influencing daily calorie needs.

Obesity

A condition characterized by excessive body fat accumulation, increasing health risks.

Emotion

A complex state involving physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and subjective experience.

Theories of Emotion

Various models that explain emotion generation, differing in emphasis on physiological vs. cognitive components.

Autonomic Nervous System

Regulates involuntary bodily functions, comprising sympathetic and parasympathetic branches.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Prepares the body for 'fight or flight', increasing heart rate and energy mobilization.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Promotes 'rest and digest' functions, decreasing heart rate and facilitating recovery.

Facial Feedback Effect

Theory that facial expressions can influence emotional experience, enhancing feelings of happiness.

Behavior Feedback Effect

The idea that body postures and movements can affect emotions, making one feel more confident.

Broaden and Build Theory

Proposes that positive emotions broaden awareness and build lasting personal resources.

Health Psychology

Examines how biological, psychological, and social factors affect health, focusing on health promotion.

Psychoneuroimmunology

Studies how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes affect the immune system and health.

Psychophysiological Illness

Physical illnesses influenced or worsened by stress, such as hypertension or headaches.

Stress

The process of appraising and responding to challenging or threatening events.

Approach and Avoidance Motives

Conflicting drives to pursue (approach) or avoid (avoidance) a goal or stimulus.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

A three-stage stress response: alarm, resistance, exhaustion.

Tend and Befriend Response

A stress response common in females involving nurturing and seeking social support.

Coronary Heart Disease

A condition caused by narrowing of blood vessels, often linked to stress and lifestyle factors.

Type A and Type B Personalities

Type A: competitive; Type B: relaxed; Type A is linked to higher stress and health risks.

Coping

Efforts to manage stress through various strategies, which can be adaptive or maladaptive.

Problem-Focused Coping

Addressing the source of stress directly to resolve it, best for controllable stressors.

Emotion-Focused Coping

Managing emotional distress instead of addressing the stressor, useful for uncontrollable stressors.

Personal Control

The sense of having power over one's environment and outcomes, linked to lower stress.

Learned Helplessness

A state of passive resignation after exposure to uncontrollable stressors, linked to depression.

External Locus of Control

Belief that external forces determine life outcomes, associated with higher stress.

Internal Locus of Control

Belief that one’s actions influence outcomes, linked to lower stress and better problem-solving.

Self-Control

The ability to regulate impulses and behaviors to achieve goals, which can be strengthened with practice.