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

• 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
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• 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)

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