Motivation: Chapter 9 Part 1

What is the drive-reduction theory?

The drive state motivates you to perform a behavior that will fulfill (reduce) the drive → you’re comfortably back at baseline

What is homeostasis?

Maintaining internal equilibrium through self-regulation

• Goes down → drive state triggered

• Lowest state → behavior to fulfill drive

What are the key properties of drive states?

1. Caused by deviations from homeostasis

2. Narrow attention toward fulfilling the drive

3. Triggered by internal and external cues

Why do drive states narrow your attention?

How drives motivate behavior

• Hungry → hard to think about anything but food; food-related stimuli in environment become more salient to you

What are drive states triggered by?

Internal cues (hunger: low fat stores, low blood glucose) and external cues (hunger: sight and smell of food)

What is the glucostatic hypothesis?

• Blood glucose levels drop → lateral hypothalamus is activated → sensation of hunger

• Glucose is abundant → ventromedial hypothalamus is activated → decreased hunger and eating

What is the lipostatic hypothesis?

• Like liposuction aka FAT; helps regulate long-term energy balance

• Energy reserves are high → fat cells release leptin into the bloodstream → leptin signals that there is fat in storage → signals satiety and suppresses appetite

• Fat stores are depleted → stomach lining secretes ghrelin → ghrelin signals that more fat is needed → stimulates hunger and increases appetite

What is the body weight set point?

Set point = predetermined weight that a body naturally maintains

• Is flexible; gradual changes in weight can change set point

How does environment influence hunger and eating?

Environment has a big impact on our behavior

Larger portions/eating in groups → eat more

Women eating with men → eat less

Time of day you usually eat → hunger

Why is obesity so common?

Thrifty gene hypothesis: ancient humans had unpredictable access to food → advantageous to eat a lot from being more likely to survive BUT same tendency is not adaptive in an industrialized environment now that food is abundant

What is the difference between liking and wanting?

Liking = pleasure; receiving something good

Wanting = craving; seeking something good

What is dopamine?

Responsible for the feeling of CRAVING; dopamine levels increase in anticipation of reward and makes you WANT

What is intrinsic motivation?

Doing something because it’s FUN (inherently rewarding)

What is extrinsic motivation?

Doing something for an external reward

What is self-control?

The attempt to modify your default response in a situation

What is willpower?

The ability to engage in self-control

What were Walter Mischel’s classic marshmallow studies?

If children didn’t eat a marshmallow in front of them for 15 minutes, they get 2 marshmallows → childhood self-control correlated with better outcomes later in life; ability to delay gratification leads to better life outcomes

Why is willpower hard?

Is a skill you can build, but still not very reliable; much of our behavior is driven by environmental cues

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Claims that we have certain types of needs that are prioritized over others; more basic needs must be met until other needs can be considered

What is the hierarchy in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

Self-actualization (self-fulfillment needs) > esteem needs, belongingness and love needs (psychological needs) > safety needs, physiological needs (basic needs)

What is Carol Dweck’s unified theory of motivation, personality, and development?

Combination of 3 basic needs (predictability, acceptance, competence) gives rise to other needs → activates certain goals → motivates behavior