Chapter 10: Motivation, Emotion, and Eating Disorders

Clemson, PSYC 2010, Section 7, Mary Taylor, Exam 3

Instinct Theory

Genetically predisposed behaviors lead to behavior (e.g., maternal instincts), often takes a fixed pattern and is unlearned

Drive Reduction Theory

Physiological need creates an aroused tension state (drive) that motivates the satisfaction of the need, pulled by incentives; theory works well for basic biological needs

Drive Reduction Theory Diagram

Need → Drive → Drive-Reducing behavior

(food, water) → (hunger, thirst) → (eating, drinking)

Arousal Theory

Yerkes-Dodson Law, Performance on tasks depends on an optimum level of arousal. The best level of arousal to produce maximum performance depends on task complexity or difficulty.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Shows the relationship between task complexity, arousal, and performance. Without knowing how difficult a task is, you would predict that moderate arousal leads to optimal performance. While this is true, difficult tasks require lower arousal for best performance. Too much arousal leads to poorer performance on complex tasks. Simple tasks require higher levels of arousal for best performance.

Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Lower-level needs need to be met before moving up in pyramid, newer research refutes this; more than one need is active at one time

Hierarchy of Needs Chart

Self-Actualization → Esteem → Love & Belonging → Safety Needs → Physiological Needs

Achivement Motivation

Desire for significant accomplishments, mastering skills or ideas, attainment of high standards, self-discipline better indicated of school performance than IQ

James-Lange Theory

Theory of emotion, Physical symptoms of emotions emerge first, then the affect or emotional experience occurs.

Cannon-Bond Theory

Theory of emotion, Physical and emotional experience occurs simultaneously.

Schacter-Singer Theory

Theory of emotion, Physical arousal and attributing the arousal to an emotional cause are important.

Physical Expression of Emotions

Fake expressions use different muscles and last too long

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

Certain facial expressions become linked to a given mood, “the face produces the feeling”

Matsumoto

Studied blind and sighted athletics and found that expression of emotions was similar across groups, and that the source of emotional expression maybe innate to some extent.

Mirror Neurons

Neurons in the brain that fire when we observe other people’s actions; involved in empathy. EX: Primates who observed humans eating a peanut showed the same neural response as when they are eating one.

Prefrontal Cortex

Regulates a primitive response to the processing of emotion

Amygdala

Processes Emotion

Right Prefrontal Cortex

Specialized for negative emotions (escape)

Left Prefrontal Cortex

Specialized for positive emotions (apporach)

Weight Set Point

Weight your body naturally maintains, due in part to genetically programmed Basal Metabolism Rate and Leptin, a hormone regulating appetite

Homeostasis

A tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the regulation of any aspect of body chemistry, such as blood glucose, around a particular level

Anorexia Nervousa

Lower than normal body weight, preoccupation with calories, exercise, and restriction of diet, leads to serious disorders, including cardiac disorders, highest mortality rate of any psychological disorder, has a substantial psychological element, low self esteem, perfectionism, and distorted body image.

Bulimia

Alternation of binging and purging, typically normal or slightly above normal body weight, has a substantial psychological element

Glucose

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

Leptin

Protein hormone secreted by fat cells; when abundant, causes brain to increase metabolism and decrease hunger

Basal Metabolism Rate

The body’s resting rate of energy output

Ostracism

Deliberate social exclusion of individuals or groups