motivation
a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior
extrinsic motivation
type of motivation in which a person performs an action because it leads to an outcome that is separate from or external to the person.
intrinsic motivation
type of motivation in which a person performs an action because the act itself is rewarding or satisfying in some internal manner.
instincts
the biologically determined and innate patterns of behavior that exist in both people and animals.
instinct approach
approach to motivation that assumes people are governed by insticts similar to those of animals.
need
a requirement of some material (such as food or water) that is essential for survival of the organism
drive
a psychological tension and physical arousal arising when there is a need that motivates the organism to act in order to fulfill the need and reduce the tension
drive-reduction theory
approach to motivation that assumes behavior arises from physiological needs that cause internal drives to push the organism to satisfy the need and reduce tension and arousal
primary drives
those drives that involve needs of the body such as hunger and thirst
acquired (secondary) drives
those drives that are learned through experience or conditioning, such as the need for money or social approval
homeostasis
process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment
stimulus motive
a motive that appears to be unlearned but causes an increase in stimulation, such as curiosity
arousal theory
theory of motivation in which people are said to have an optimal (best or ideal) level of tension that they seek to maintain by increasing or decreasing stimulation
Yerkes-Dodson law
law stating performance is related to arousal; moderate levels or arousal lead to better performance than do levels of arousal that are too low or too high. This effect varies with the difficulty of the task: Easy tasks require a high-moderate level whereas more difficult tasks require a low-moderate level
incentives
things that attract or lure people into action, a pull.
incentive approaches
theories of motivation in which behavior is explained as a response to the external stimulus and its rewarding properties
self-actualization
according to Maslow, the point that is seldom reached at which people have sufficiently satisfied the lower needs and achieved their full human potential
weight set point
the particular level of weight the body tries to maintain
basal metabolic rate (BMR)
the rate at which the body burns energy when the organism is resting
leptin
a hormone that, when released into the bloodstream, signals the hypothalamus that the body has had enough food and reduces the appetite while increasing the feeling of being full
anorexia nervosa
a condition in which a person reduces eating to the point that a weight loss of 15 percent below the ideal body weight or more occurs
bulimia nervosa
a condition in which a person develops a cycle of "binging," or overeating enormous amounts of food at one sitting, and then using unhealthy methods to avoid weight gain
emotion
the "feeling" aspect of consciousness, characterized by a certain physical arousal, a certain behavior that reveals the emotion to the outside world, and an inner awareness of feelings
James-Lange theory of emotion
theory in which a physiological reaction leads to the labeling of an emotion. I am afraid because I am shaking
Cannon-Bard theory of emotion
theory in which the physiological reaction and the emotion are assumed to occur at the same time. I am shaking and afraid at the same time
Schachter's cognitive arousal theory/ Singer and Schachter's Two Factor
theory of emotion in which both the physical arousal and the COGNITIVE LABEL of that arousal based on cues from the environment must occur before the emotion is experienced
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Humanist theory of motivation that says we must first fulfill lower level needs before achieving personal fulfillment and self actualization
Physiological-Safety-Belongingness and Love-Esteem-Cognitive-Self Actualization
ventromedial hypothalamus
stops the eating response; lets us know we are full
if damaged, we would continue to eat.
lateral hypothamalus
initiates the eating response; lets us know we are hungry
if damaged, we would starve
Achievement motivation
a desire for significant accomplishment: for mastery of things, people, or ideas; for attaining a high standard
Adaptation-Level Phenomenon
our tendency to form judgments (of sounds, of lights, of income) relative to a neutral level defined by our prior experience
Behavioral medicine
an interdisciplinary field that integrates behavioral and medical knowledge and applies that knowledge to health and disease
Biofeedback
a system for electronically recording, amplifying, and feeding back information regarding a subtle physiological state, such as blood pressure or muscle tension
Catharsis
emotional release. ie. "releasing" aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges.
Coping
alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods
Feel-good, do-good phenomenon
The tendency to be helpful when in a good mood
General adaptation syndrome (GAS)
A model of the body's response to chronic stress; the three phases are alarm (fight-or-flight response), resistance, and exhaustion.
Glucose
A simple sugar that is an important source of energy.
Industrial-organization (I/O) psychology
the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces
Polygraph
a machine, commonly used in attempts to detect lies, that measures several of the physiological responses accompanying emotion
Problem-focused coping
Attempting to alleviate stress directly by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.
Psychophysiological illness
literally, "mind-body" illness; any stress-related physical illness, such as hypertension and some headaches
Refractory period
a resting period after orgasm, during which a man cannot achieve another orgasm
Relative deprivation
the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself
Sexual disorder
a problem that consistently impairs sexual arousal or functioning
Sexual orientation
an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one's own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other sex (heterosexual orientation)
Sexual response cycle
the four stages of sexual responding described by Masters and Johnson - excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution
Stress
A nonspecific, emotional response to real or imagined challenges or threats; a result of a cognitive appraisal by the individual
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 people's quality of life.
Task leadership
goal-oriented leadership that sets standards, organizes work, and focuses attention on goals
Type A
competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people
Type B
easygoing, relaxed people
Theory X (in terms of leadership)
Managers who assume that work is innately unpleasant and that people have a strong desire to avoid it; such managers believe that employees need direction, dislike responsibility, and must be kept in line.
Theory Y (in terms of leadership)
The assumption that employees like work, are creative, seek responsibility, and can exercise self-direction.
Eustress
A positive stress that energizes a person and helps a person reach a goal
distress
bad stress. extreme anxiety.
Ekman
Changes in facial expression brings about emotion like changes in the body
Izard
Believes the infants can express several basic emotions as early as 10 weeks of age
Pscyhoneuroimmunology (PNI)
the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect the immune system and resulting health
Estrogen
Female sex hormone
Testosterone
Male sex hormone
acute stressors
threatening events that have a relatively short duration and a clear endpoint
chronic stressors
threatening events that have a relatively long duration and no readily apparent time limit