Motivation

Motivation

a need/desire that engergizes a behavior

Perspectives of motivation

Instinct theory, Drive-Reduction theory, Arousal theory, and maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Instinct

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

Whats an example of instinct?

Hatched ducks form attachments to the first moving thing they see

What do psychologists see human behavior as?

psychological wants and physiological needs

Instinct theory

It explains the idea of genes predisposing behavior to species but not human motives (now called evolutionary perspective), genetically predisposed behaviors

What can instinct theory be applied to?

explanation of human similarities, animals biological predispositions to learn behaviors, evolution + phobias, and romantic attractions

Drive-Reduction theory

the idea that a physiological need creates a drive that motivates an organism to satisfy the need, focuses on how our inner pushes (hunger) and external pulls (incentives) interact

What happens when a physiological need increases

the psychological drive also increases

What is the point of drive reduction?

homeostasis

Homeostasis

the matinence of a steady internal state

incentives

a positive or negative stimulus that motivates behavior, we are “pulled” by them

infovore

we want to learn and our brain rewards us for getting information

Arousal theory

finding the right level of stimulation, when all of your basic needs are met what do you do to entertain yourself

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

pyramids of needs

Bottom: physiological needs

One level up: Safety needs

Middle: Belongingness + love needs

Closer to top: esteem needs

Top: self transcendence needs

does NOT need to be 100% fulfilled in each level to move up to the next level

What do tasks do people want when they have high achievement motivation?

prefer moderately difficult tasks

What do tasks do people want when they have low achievement motivation?

 prefer very easy or very hard tasks

intrinsic motivation

a desire to perform behavior for its own sake

extrinsic motivation

desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threat of punishment

A.L. Washburn + Cannon experiment

swallowed balloon to track stomach contractions, stomach made contractions when he was hungry.

What happens when you take out Lateral hypothalamus

the rats stopped eating (didnt feel hungry)

What happens when you take out Ventromedial hypothalamus

the rats couldn’t stop eating (didn’t feel full)

Glucose

the form of sugar that circulates in the blood and provides a major source of energy for body tissues

what happens when there is a low level of glucose in the body and what triggers it?

a person gets hungry and the brain triggers it

Hypothalamus

the body controls messages of hunger through this part of the brain

Lateral hypothalamus

BRINGS HUNGER

What hormone does the lateral hypothalamus release?

Orexin

Orexin

hunger triggering hormone released by the lateral hypothalamus

Ventromedial hypothalamus

DEPRESSES HUNGER

Ghrelin

makes you hungry and comes from the empty stomach

Obestatin

sends out fullness signal that stops hunger

apetite suppressants

leptin and PYY

Set point

the point where an persons weight thermostat is supposedly set and when the bodies weight is below this # hunger increases and metabolic rate decreases

basal metabolic rate

the bodies resting rate, amount of energy it wants to use each day

Paul Rozin experiment

kept giving patients with short memories more meals to eat after they forgot and they kept eating each meal, part of knowing what to eat is our memory of the last meal

Is our preference for sweet and salty foods genetic or learned

genetic

neophobia

avoiding unfamiliar foods, comes from our ancestors protecting themselves by not trying new foods

anorexia

eating disorder where person starves themselves then still feels fat

bulimia

overeating then fasting, making yourself puke, or excessive excercise

binge eating disorder

eating a lot then feeling guilty but NOT compensating to lose weight