Unit 7 AP Psych
Classical Theories of Motivation
- 1.) Instinct Theory: (evolutionary perspective) – automatic behaviors in response to specific stimuli
- 2.) Drive Reduction Theory: behavior is motivated by biological needs
- Needs: required for survival
- Drives: impulse to act in a way that satisfies a need
- Body seeks homeostasis: a balanced state where our needs are being met
- 3.) Arousal Theory: when people seek an optimal level of excitement or arousal. People with high arousal levels are drawn to risky/exciting behaviors
- Yerkes Dodson Law of Arousal: Optimal level is middle ground – neither too bored or too stressed
- 4.) Incentive Theory: You do a behavior to get the bonus/reward
- 5.) Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Ultimate goal = self actualization: reaching one’s ultimate potential.
Sexual Motivation
- Sexual response cycle:
- 1.) Excitement: genitals engorge with blood, increase heart rate
- 2.)Plateau: heart rate and breathing continue to increase
- 3.) Orgasm: genital contractions, ejaculation
- 4.) Resolution/refractory period: body returns to unaroused, normal state.
- Testosterone: Both females and males have it, but greater in males. Stimulates male puberty development.
- Estrogen: sex hormone secreted in greater amounts in females. Female estrogen levels peak when ovulating
- Psychological factors affect sexual motivation (i.e. attraction varies)
Hunger Motivation
- hypothalamus is biologically involved in regulating our hunger - makes us feel hungry & full
- Opposing parts
- Lateral Hypothalamus: send signal toeat
- Ventromedial Hypothalamus: sends single of satiety
- Set point – body’s perfect weight based on our gender, build, and metabolic rate.
- Appetite hormones
Hormone | Secreted By: | Function |
---|---|---|
Insulin | Pancreas | Controls blood sugar/glucose levels |
Leptin | Fat cells | Causes the brain to increase metabolic rate and decrease hunger |
Orexin | Lateral hypothalamus | hunger triggering hormone |
Ghrelin | Empty stomach | Sends hunger signal to brain |
PYY | Digestive track | Sends not hungry signals to brain |
- Psychology of hunger
- Internal eaters: They are more likely to eat when they are truly biologically hungry
- External eaters: eat based on external food cues.
- Garcia Effect: learned taste aversions (classical conditioning) will make us not want certain foods even if we are hungry.
- Culture : we typically prefer foods that are most familiar to us (connected to mere exposure effect)
Social Motivation
- 1.) Humans have an innate need to belong, be accepted, and maintain social relationships (think of Maslow, Harlow)
- 2.) Achievement Motivation: desire for significant accomplishment, mastery of skill, attainment of high standard
- Intrinsic motivation: You do things for yourself; you enjoy it, it is rewarding
- Extrinsic motivation: You do things for external reasons; outside rewards
- Overjustification effect: when extrinsic motivations ruin the pure enjoyment of an activity.
- Management techniques
- Theory Y: Believe their employees are intrinsically motivated; hands off style
- Theory X: Believe their employees are extrinsically motivated; they micromanage
Emotion
Theories of Emotion
- Opponent Process Theory of Emotion: idea that the emotion that precedes an event is the opposite of the one that comes after it.
- Catharsis: positive release of negative energy; venting
Culture & Emotion
- Emotions and facial expressions seem to be universal across cultures
- However, hand gestures vary from culture to culture
Happiness
- Which variables correlate with happiness?
- Which don’t?
- Feel good Do good Phenomenon: more likely to help someone when we feel good
- Relative Deprivation Theory: Our own happiness is relative to who we are comparing ourselves to.
- Adaptation Level Theory: we adapt and adjust to new circumstances and return to our base level of happiness.
- Are polygraphs effective?
Stress
- Lack of perceived control over a problem exacerbates feeling of stress
- Stress caused by catastrophes, significant life change, or daily hassles
- SRRS: Social Readjustment Rating Scale
- Measures stress by using life changing units
- Major life changes increase stress score
- Even positive changes (wedding, new job, baby) can cause significant stress
- Hans Selye: General Adaptation Syndrome
- 1.) Alarm reaction: heart rate zooms, sympathetic NS kicks in
- 2.) Resistance: body stays on high alert. Hormones released to maintain ready state. Temperature, blood pressure, and breathing remain high
- 3.) Exhaustion: body’s resources start to be depleted, immune system breaks down. Vulnerable
- Stress can cause which health conditions?
- How can we help our stress levels?
- Type A: people that have a competitive, driven, impatient, high achieving, often high stress personality
- Type B: people who tend to be more easy going, relaxed, and experience less stress/anxiety
- \
Individualistic | Collectivist |
---|---|
personal -emphasizedViews people as uniqueEncourage self-expressionEmphasizes competitiveness | Social-emphasizedView people as part of a groupDiscourage self-expressionEmphasis group harmony |
Stages | Age | What happens |
---|---|---|
Oral stage | 0-1 years old | Children derive pleasure from oral activities, including sucking and tasting. |
Anal stage | 2-3 years old | Children begin potty training |
Phallic stage | 3-6 years old | Boys are more attached to their mothers, girls to their fathers. |
Latency stage | 6 years old to puberty | Children spend more time with same sex peers |
Genital stage | Beyond puberty | Individuals are attached to opposite sex peers. |
- Oedipus complex: during the Phallic stage. A boy’s sexual desires towards his mother and feelings of jealousy/hatred towards the rival father. (girls experience a parallel Electra Complex).
- Projection: projection of the uncon to the con level (dream inter, TAT, ink blot, free association hypnosis)