motivation
a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior.
instinct
a complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned.
Physiological Need
Physiological Need
a basic bodily requirement.
drive-reduction theory
the idea that a physiological need creates an aroused state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need.
homeostasis
a tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state
Incentive
a positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior.
Yerkes-Dodson Law
the principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases.
Hierarchy of Needs
Maslowâs pyramid of human needs, beginning at the base with physiological needs that must first be satisfied before higher-level safety needs and then psychological needs become active.
Glucose
the form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides the major source of energy for body tissues.
set point
the point at which your âweight thermostatâ may be set.
basal metabolic rate
the bodyâs resting rate of energy output.
obesity
defined as a body mass index (BMI) measurement of 30 or higher. (Overweight individuals have a BMI of 25 or higher.)
Asexual
having no sexual attraction to others.
Testosterone
the most important male sex hormone. Both males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs during the fetal period and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty.
Estrogens
sex hormones, such as estradiol, that contribute to female sex characteristics and are secreted in greater amounts by females than by males.
sexual response cycle
the four stages of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnsonâ excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.
Refractory Period
in human sexuality, a resting period that occurs after orgasm, during which a person cannot achieve another orgasm
affiliation need
the need to build relationships and to feel part of a group.
ostracism
deliberate social exclusion of individuals or groups.
Narcissism
excessive self-love and self-absorption.
Achievement Motivation
a desire for significant accomplishment, for mastery of skills or ideas, for control, and for attaining a high standard.
Grit
in psychology, passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals.
Emotion
a response of the whole organism, involving (1) physiological arousal, (2) expressive behaviors, and (3) conscious experience.
James-Lange Theory
the theory that our experience of emotion is our awareness of our physiological responses to an emotion-arousing stimulus: stimulus â arousal â emotion.
Cannon-Bard theory
the theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers (1) physiological responses and (2) the subjective experience of emotion.
two-factor theory
the Schachter-Singer theory that to experience emotion one must (1) be physically aroused and (2) cognitively label the arousal.
Polygraph
a machine used in attempts to detect lies that measures several of the physiological responses (such as perspiration, heart rate, and breathing changes) accompanying emotion.
facial feedback effect
the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings such as fear, anger, or happiness.
behavior feedback effect
the tendency of behavior to influence our own and othersâ thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Stress
the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging.
general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
Selyeâs concept of the bodyâs adaptive response to stress in three phasesâ alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
tend-and-befriend response
under stress, people (especially women) often provide support to others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend).
health psychology
a subfield of psychology that provides psychologyâs contribution to behavioral medicine.
psychoneuroimmunology
the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect the immune system and resulting health.
Coronary Heart Disease
the clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle; the leading cause of death in many developed countries.
Type A
Friedman and Rosenmanâs term for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people.
Type B
Friedman and Rosenmanâs term for easygoing, relaxed people.
Catharsis
in psychology, the idea that âreleasingâ aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges.
aerobic exercise
sustained exercise that increases heart and lung fitness; also helps alleviate depression and anxiety.
mindfulness meditation
a reflective practice in which people attend to current experiences in a nonjudgmental and accepting manner.
feel-good, do-good phenomenon
peopleâs tendency to be helpful when in a good mood.
positive psychology
the scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.
subjective well-being
self-perceived happiness or satisfaction with life. Used along with measures of objective well-being (for example, physical and economic indicators) to evaluate peopleâs quality of life
adaptation-level phenomenon
our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, of lights, of income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience.
relative deprivation
the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself.