Unit 7 Part 1 AP Psychology

Instinct/Evolutionary Theory of Motivation - instinct

a complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned

ex. building behaviors in birds

Drive Reduction Theory of Motivation - need, drive, incentive

the idea that a physiological need (hunger, thirst, etc) creates an aroused state (drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need (eating, drinking) \[We try to reduce tension\]

Optimal Arousal Theory of Motivation

Some motivated behaviors actually INCREASE arousal INSTEAD of DECREASE

Yerkes-Dodson Law

the principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Pyramid of human needs, beginning at based with physiological needs that must FIRST BE SATISFIED before higher levels become active


1. self actualization - to fulfill our potential
2. Esteem - need for self esteem, independence, recognition, respect
3. love and belonging - need to love and be loved to belong and be accepted, to avoid loneliness and isolation
4. safety - need to be safe, secure, stable. that the world is predictable
5. physiological - need to satisfy hunger and thirst

MASLOW’S CRITICISM - doesn’t always follow this order

The Lateral Hypothalamus

brings on hunger: when electrically stimulated, well-fed animals would begin to eat: when they’re destroyed, even starving animals have no interest in food.

Releases hunger triggering hormone OREXIN

The Ventromedial Hypothalamus

depresses hunger. stimulate this area and an animal will stop eating/ Destroy it and animal’s stomach process food rapidly becoming fat

Anorexia Nervosa

normal weight person (usually an adolescent female) diets become significantly (15% or more) underweight

9/10 adolescent females

Bulimia Nervosa

episodes of overeating followed by vomiting, laxative use, fasting, excessive exercise

The Sexual Response Cycle

4 stages of sexual responding describes by WIlliam Masters and Virginia Johnson


1. excitement - genital areas become engorged with blood
2. plateau phase - excitement peaks as breathing, pulse, and blood pressure rates increase
3. orgasm - muscle contractions all over the body. A woman’s orgasm facilitates conception by drawing the sperm inward toward the uterus.
4. resolution - body gradually returns to unaroused state after orgasm. Male enters refractory period where he cannot achieve another orgasm (few days or minutes)

Sexual Orientation

enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one’s own sex (homosexual) or other sex (heterosexual)

Attitudes Toward Work

job - necessary way to make money, but not positive in fulfilling activity

career - opportunity to advance from one position to a better one

calling - fulfilling and socially useful activity. report highest satisfaction with work and lives.

Flow

completely involved, focused state of consciousness, diminished awareness of self and time, resulting in optimal engagement of one’s skills.

Industrial-Organization (I/O) Psychology

application of physiological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces

3 Subfields of I/O Psychology

human factors - how machines and environments can be optimally designed to fit human abilities

personnel psych- focuses n recruitment, selection, placement, training, appraisal, and development of employees

* Match people with jobs by identifying and placing well-suited candidates

organizational psychologies - examine organizational influences of worker satisfaction and productivity and facilitates organizational changes

Interviewer Illusion

a feeling of overconfidence in one’s intuitive ability to predict employee success

Unstructured v. Structured Interviews

structured - asks job relevant questions of all applicants. May ask “tell me a time you were caught between conflicting demands”

unstructured - may ask “ how organized are you”

Task Leadership

goal oriented leadership that sets standards, organizes work and focuses attention on goals

Social Leadership

group oriented leadership that builds teamwork, mediates conflict, and offers support

* usually have a democratic style they delegate authority and welcome participation of group members

Emotion

A response involving a mix of 1) physiological arousal (heart pounding), 2) expressive behaviors (quickened pace), & 3) conscious experience \[including thoughts for example, has my child just been kidnapped? & feelings, for, example, a sense of fear and later joy\]

Theories of Emotion - James-Lange theory

we feel emotion AFTER we notice our physiological responses. (ex. see truck coming at you, get out of the way first then feel scared)

Theories of Emotion - Cannon Bard theory

we feel emotion at THE SAME TIME that our bodies respond. (ex. heart pounds as you feel fear, one doesn’t cause the other)

Theories of Emotion - two factor theory (Schachter & singer)

experience an emotion one must be 1) physically aroused and 2) cognitively label the arousal (ex. emotional experience requires a conscious interpretation of the arousal)

Emotion and the Autonomic Nervous System

as your autonomic nervous system gets ready for action, body also responds in less noticeable way. body prepares for fight or flight.

sympathetic - mobilizes us for action by directing adrenal gland to release stress hormones

parasympathetic - clams us after crisis passed

Arousal and performance

we usually perform best when we are moderately aroused, level of arousal for optimal performance varies for different tasks.


1. with easy well learned tasks peak performance comes with high arousal
2. with more difficult unrehearsed tasks, optimal arousal is somewhat lower

The Spillover Effect

occurs when our arousal from one event influences our response to other events.

The two alternative pathways that sensory stimuli may travel when triggering an emotional response

Nonverbal communication

* posture
* gestures, facial expressions, tones of voice

the facial feedback effect

facial expression amplify our emotions by activating muscles associated with specific states and the muscle signal the body to respond as though we were experiencing those states

* when we stimulate the facial expressions normally associated with happiness, we feel happier

the behavior feedback effect

if we move our body we would when experiencing some emotion

* shuffling along with downcast eyes, as when sad we are likely to feel emotion to some degree.

Two ways we learn fears

1. Can be CONDITIONED - associating emotions with specific situations
2. can be LEARNED BY OBSERVATION - watching others display far in response to a certain event or surrounding

The biology of fears

in the AMYGDALA - limbic system neural center

The catharsis hypothesis

maintains that “releasing” aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges

the feel good, do good phenomenon

people’s tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood

relative deprivation

the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself

behavioral medicine

health psychology

focuses on how biological, social and psychological factors influence health and illness.

stress/stressors

General Adaptation Syndrome

describes the process your body goes through when you are exposed to any kind of stress, positive or negative. It has three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion

Psychophysiology illness

physical disorders with psychological overlays

hypochondriacs

A hypochondriac is someone who lives with the fear that they have a serious, but undiagnosed medical condition, even though diagnostic tests show there is nothing wrong with them.

biofeedback

Biofeedback is a technique you can use to learn to control some of your body's functions, such as your heart rate.

suggestion for losing weight

1. weight lost program when motivated and self-disciplined
2. minimize exposure to tempting food cues
3. boost energy expenditure through exercise
4. set realistic and moderate goals
5. eat health foods
6. space small meals throughout the day
7. don’t give up