AP Psych Unit 3.6 Vocab

achievement motivation

A desire for accomplishment and mastery.

Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

A theory that states that the physiological sensations of an emotion and the psychological experience of an emotion happen simultaneously. Neither one causes the other.

display rules

Culturally based rules about the outward display of emotion.

drive-reduction theory

Clark Hull's theory of learning in which our drives, such as hunger or thirst, prompt our behavior, which causes a reduction in the drive. This reduction in the drive is reinforcing, which causes us to engage in the behavior more frequently.

emotion

An internal subjective state of feeling and the bodily sensations that accompany that feeling.

estrogen

A hormone that controls the menstrual cycles and development of female secondary sex characteristics. It is produced in the ovaries in women, and small amounts are produced in the testes in men.

extrinsic

Something that comes from an external source. A paycheck is an example of an extrinsic reward.

general adaptation syndrome

First described by Hans Selye, this is the name given to the three stages of physiological responses to prolonged stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

hierarchy of needs

Developed by Abraham Maslow, a pyramid model in which basic needs, such as safety, food, and sleep, must be satisfied before the person can aspire to higher-level needs, such as belonging and self-esteem.

homeostasis

Maintaining a consistent balance, or equilibrium.

incentive

A benefit that is offered to encourage a specific behavior. The incentive theory of motivation holds that motivation is governed by incentives.

instinct

An inborn, rather than learned, tendency toward a particular behavior.

James-Lange theory of emotion

The theory that our experience of emotion depends on our awareness of our psychological responses.

microexpression

A brief and involuntary facial expression that shows a reaction to emotions a person is experiencing.

motivation

An internal state that activates goal-directed behavior.

overjustification effect

Inadvertently reducing intrinsic motivation by introducing extrinsic incentives. For example, paying someone to do a task that used to be inherently enjoyable may cause a decrease in enjoyment on that task.

set point

The point at which an individual's weight limit is supposedly set.

sexual orientation

The focus of a person's sexual or romantic desires, fantasies or feelings, that describe the gender(s) to which that person is attracted.

sexual response cycle

A pattern of response to sexual stimulation, consisting of five stages: desire, excitement, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

two-factor theory of emotion

A theory of emotion proposed by Stanley Schacter and Jerome Singer that says that experiencing emotional states is not only a function of arousal, but also cognitive interpretations of the arousal.