Module 3 - Motivation and Emotion

What is the definition of emotion?

A temporary state that includes unique subjective experienced and physiological activity

Name and discuss the two dimensions of emotion:

• Arousal and valence

• High and low arousal, positive and negative valence

What is emotional appraisal?

Conscious or unconscious evaluations and interpretations of the emotion-relevant aspects of a stimulus or event

What are action tendencies?

A readiness to engage in a specific set of emotion-relevant behaviours

Describe each of the two theories of emotion:

• James-Lange Theory - feelings are simply the perception of one’s physiological responses to a stimulus

• Schacter’s Two-factor Theory - stimuli trigger a general state of physiological arousal, which is then interpreted as a specific emotion

Discuss how the amygdala and cortex interact to produce fear:

• Amygdala - rapid detection of threats; triggers automatic fear responses

• Cortex - evaluates and interprets threat; can regulate the amygdala

What does the universality hypothesis suggest?

All emotional expressions mean the same thing to all people in all places at all times

Discuss the facial feedback hypothesis:

Emotional expressions can cause the emotional experiences they typically signify

What are display rules?

A norm for the appropriate expression of emotion

Are humans good at detecting lies? Why or why not?

No

• Truth bias

• Misleading cues

• Cognitive limits

• Social motivation

• Contextual gaps

Describe the polygraph and discuss its efficacy in detecting lies:

• Pros: physiological stress indicators may aid in investigations, better than chance in some settings, sometimes used in law enforcement or employment

• Cons: Not specific to lying, can be manipulated, high false positive/negative rates, often not admissible in court

What is motivation?

The internal causes of purposeful behaviour

What are instincts?

An innate, typically fixed pattern of behaviour in animals in response to certain stimuli.

What are drives?

An increased arousal and internal motivation to reach a particular goal

What is the hedonic principle?

People are primarily motivated to experience pleasure and avoid pain

Summarize the hormones that influence hunger:

• Ghrelin - signals hunger; stimulates appetite

• Leptin - signals fullness and regulates long-term energy balance

• Insulin - helps regulate blood sugar and influences satiety

• Cholecystokinin - promotes a feeling of fullness after eating

• Peptide YY - reduces appetite after meals

• Glucagon-like-peptide-1 - enhances insulin, slows digestion, reduces appeptite

• Orexin - regulates arousal, wakefulness, and appetite

Summarize how the brain influences hunger:

• Lateral hypothalamus - triggers hunger

• Ventromedial hypothalamus - signals fullness

• Arcuate Nucleus - integrates hormonal signals

• Prefrontal cortex - decision-making about food

• Amygdala & Insula - emotional and sensory input related to eating

Name and describe two eating disorders:

1. Anorexia Nervosa - an eating disorder characterized by extreme food restriction, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image.

2. Bulimia Nervosa - An eating disorder marked by cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviours to prevent weight gain, such as vomiting, fasting, or over-exercising.

Define obesity:

A medical condition, considered by multiple organizations to be a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it can have negative effects on health -

What is the BMI? Are Canadians overweight?

• Body Mass Index - a tool to estimate body fat based on a person’s weight and height

• About 63% of Canadians are overweight

Discuss the causes of obesity:

• Biological

• Behavioural

• Environmental

• Social

Describe evolutionary mismatch:

A situation where traits that were once advantageous in our ancestral environment become maladaptive in the modern world because the environment has changed much faster than our genes have.

Discuss the hormones that play a role in sexual desire:

• Testosterone - primary driver of libido

• Estrogen - supports arousal and sexual comfort

• Oxytocin - increases bonding and emotional closeness

• Dopamine - enhances pleasure, reward, and motivation

• Serotonin - can suppress desire

• Progesterone - may lower sexual interest

• Endorphins - boost pleasure and relaxation post-sex

Name and describe the four phases of the human sexual response cycle:

1. Excitement - genital blood flow, lubrication, erection

2. Plateau - muscle tension, increased heart rate

3. Orgasm - ejaculation in makes, pelvic contactions in females

4. Resolution - relation, refractory period in males

Differentiate between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation:

• Intrinsic - a motivation to take actions that are themselves rewarding

• Extrinsic - motivation to take actions that are not themselves but that lead to a reward

Does extrinsic motivation always work?

No due to undermining intrinsic motivation, short-term effectiveness, quality vs quantity, individual differences

Differentiate between conscious and unconscious motivation, and discuss how this impacts people’s need for achievement:

• Motivations which people are aware of

  • Can be controlled

  • Verbalized

  • Clear goal-setting

• Motivations which people are not aware

  • Automatic

  • Indirectly observed

  • Drives persistent behaviour unconsciously

Differentiate between approach motivation and avoidance motivations, and discuss which is more powerful and why:

• The motivation to experience positive outcomes

  • Seeking positive outcomes

  • Hope, excitement, pleasure

  • Promotes growth & rewards

  • Weaker than avoidance

• The motivation to avoid experiencing negative outcomes

  • Avoiding negative outcomes

  • Fear, anxiety, stress

  • Ensures survival by avoiding harm

  • Often stronger due to negativity bias