AP Psychology: 7.01 & 7.02 Theories of Motivation and Emotion
Motivation: A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior towards a goal. All processes involved in starting, directing, and maintaining physical and psychological activities.
Instinct: A complex, inherited, unlearned behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species. Human instinct example: rooting reflex in babies
Instinct (Evolutionary Perspective) Theory
View that certain behaviors are determined by innate factors
-Fixed-action patterns – Genetically based behaviors, seen across a species, that can be set off by a specific stimulus
Problem: Early instinct theorists named behaviors, they did not explain the behaviors; some complex behaviors are not learned and can be explained by a genetic predisposition
Incentives: positive or negative stimuli that lure or repel us
Drive-Reduction Theory
The idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need
-Eating and drinking are examples of drive-reducing behaviors.
Drive: Biologically instigated motivation
Motive: Internal mechanism that directs behavior (often used to describe motivations that are learned, rather that biologically based)
Drive theory: View that a biological need (an imbalance that threatens survival) produces drive.
-How our inner pushes (drives) and external pulls (incentives) interact.
-Try to maintain homeostasis – the tendency to maintain a balanced internal state (staying the same). It’s our needs. Physiological basis – ex: body temperature
Homeostasis
Homeostasis refers to:
arousal of the sympathetic nervous system
a tendency for individuals to behave consistently when highly motivated
a need state resulting from the physiological experience of hunger or thirst
a second stage of Selye’s General Adaptive Syndrome
2 types of homeostasis:
Biological Homeostasis: focuses on physical conditions such as hunger, thirst, and temperature
Cognitive Homeostasis: involves mental conditions such as consistency, balance, and harmony on one’s thinking; promoting peace with self and others
Arousal Theory
Arousal: Levels of alertness and responsiveness. Some behaviors are motivating
b/c they increase arousal and stimulate the person in some needed fashion
Focuses on finding the right level of stimulation.
Concentrates on curiosity.
Aron Ralston
Those who enjoy high arousal are most likely to enjoy intense music, novel foods, and risky behaviors.
Yerkes-Dodson Law
-The theory that a degree of psychological arousal helps performance, but only to a point; an optimum level of performance occurs when stress is moderate
-Optimum level of arousal depends on the difficulty of the task.
-Each person has an optimum level of stimulation they like to maintain.
Hierarchy of Needs
The notion that needs occur in priority order, with the biological needs of the most basic
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970): Humanistic psychologist who developed the hierarchy of needs.
-Maslow’s pyramid of human needs beginning at the base with physiological needs that must be satisfied before higher level safety needs become active.
-Continually higher-level needs won’t become active until lower-level needs have been satisfied.
-There are some exceptions: for some, the need for respect must be satisfied before they can enter into a love relationship
Types of Motivation
Intrinsic motivation: Desire to engage in an activity for its own sake
Extrinsic motivation: Desire to engage in an activity to achieve an external consequence
(e.g. a reward)
Rewards can sometimes squelch motivation
-Overjustification: The process by which extrinsic rewards can sometimes displace internal motivation, as when a child receives money for playing video games
Emotions
Whole-organism responses, involving:
Physiological arousal
Expressive behaviors
Conscious experience
Display rules: The cultural rules governing how and when a person may express emotion. Rules greatly vary from culture to culture.
Theories of Emotion: Historical Approaches
James-Lange Theory
Arousal Expressive
-Physiological Response -Experienced Emotion
-Run/Sympathetic NS -Feel scared
AP Psychology: 7.01 & 7.02 Theories of Motivation and Emotion
Motivation: A need or desire that energizes and directs behavior towards a goal. All processes involved in starting, directing, and maintaining physical and psychological activities.
Instinct: A complex, inherited, unlearned behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species. Human instinct example: rooting reflex in babies
Instinct (Evolutionary Perspective) Theory
View that certain behaviors are determined by innate factors
-Fixed-action patterns – Genetically based behaviors, seen across a species, that can be set off by a specific stimulus
Problem: Early instinct theorists named behaviors, they did not explain the behaviors; some complex behaviors are not learned and can be explained by a genetic predisposition
Incentives: positive or negative stimuli that lure or repel us
Drive-Reduction Theory
The idea that a physiological need creates an aroused tension state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need
-Eating and drinking are examples of drive-reducing behaviors.
Drive: Biologically instigated motivation
Motive: Internal mechanism that directs behavior (often used to describe motivations that are learned, rather that biologically based)
Drive theory: View that a biological need (an imbalance that threatens survival) produces drive.
-How our inner pushes (drives) and external pulls (incentives) interact.
-Try to maintain homeostasis – the tendency to maintain a balanced internal state (staying the same). It’s our needs. Physiological basis – ex: body temperature
Homeostasis
Homeostasis refers to:
arousal of the sympathetic nervous system
a tendency for individuals to behave consistently when highly motivated
a need state resulting from the physiological experience of hunger or thirst
a second stage of Selye’s General Adaptive Syndrome
2 types of homeostasis:
Biological Homeostasis: focuses on physical conditions such as hunger, thirst, and temperature
Cognitive Homeostasis: involves mental conditions such as consistency, balance, and harmony on one’s thinking; promoting peace with self and others
Arousal Theory
Arousal: Levels of alertness and responsiveness. Some behaviors are motivating
b/c they increase arousal and stimulate the person in some needed fashion
Focuses on finding the right level of stimulation.
Concentrates on curiosity.
Aron Ralston
Those who enjoy high arousal are most likely to enjoy intense music, novel foods, and risky behaviors.
Yerkes-Dodson Law
-The theory that a degree of psychological arousal helps performance, but only to a point; an optimum level of performance occurs when stress is moderate
-Optimum level of arousal depends on the difficulty of the task.
-Each person has an optimum level of stimulation they like to maintain.
Hierarchy of Needs
The notion that needs occur in priority order, with the biological needs of the most basic
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970): Humanistic psychologist who developed the hierarchy of needs.
-Maslow’s pyramid of human needs beginning at the base with physiological needs that must be satisfied before higher level safety needs become active.
-Continually higher-level needs won’t become active until lower-level needs have been satisfied.
-There are some exceptions: for some, the need for respect must be satisfied before they can enter into a love relationship
Types of Motivation
Intrinsic motivation: Desire to engage in an activity for its own sake
Extrinsic motivation: Desire to engage in an activity to achieve an external consequence
(e.g. a reward)
Rewards can sometimes squelch motivation
-Overjustification: The process by which extrinsic rewards can sometimes displace internal motivation, as when a child receives money for playing video games
Emotions
Whole-organism responses, involving:
Physiological arousal
Expressive behaviors
Conscious experience
Display rules: The cultural rules governing how and when a person may express emotion. Rules greatly vary from culture to culture.
Theories of Emotion: Historical Approaches
James-Lange Theory
Arousal Expressive
-Physiological Response -Experienced Emotion
-Run/Sympathetic NS -Feel scared
