Motivated Behaviors Study Notes

Example of Unusual Plant Blooming: In 1996, Kew Gardens in London announced the blooming of a rare plant native to Sumatra, called the corpse plant or stinking lily (due to its odor resembling rotting meat or fish).
Visitor Behavior: The peculiar attraction of visitors to a foul-smelling plant highlights human curiosity despite the plant's unpleasantness.
Crowd Reaction: Long lines formed at Kew Gardens and California for viewing the corpse plant, with more than 3,000 visitors appearing for the bloom in California.

Motivated behaviors can be understood through different lenses.
This chapter will focus on work motivation, ambitions, and explore key motivators like hunger and sex.

Examples of competitive human behavior: a woman grows fingernails to 19 feet, various odd contests like belly flopping and wife-carrying competitions.

Motivation: What activates and directs behavior; can be vigorous or subtle, depending on context.
Motivated Behavior: Goal-directed, for instance:
- Hunger leads to searching for food.
- Coldness leads to putting on warmer clothes.
Drives energize behaviors but don’t always correlate with simple discomfort.

Motivation as a drive reflects a state of unrest, promoting actions to alleviate discomfort (e.g., hunger, thirst).
Drive Reduction Theory: Behavior motivated by the drive to reduce internal needs; once needs are met, inactivity follows.
Limitations: Humans actively seek stimulation beyond drive reduction (studies showing shocking behavior).

Homeostasis: Optimal biological functioning; emphasizes a constant state regardless of stimulation.
Allostasis: Anticipates needs, adjusting behavior, and physiology to prevent crises, e.g., stocking food before busy periods.

Suggests that behavior is also influenced by external stimuli (incentives), not just internal drives, e.g., eating appealing food even when not hungry.
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation:
- Extrinsic: Motivation driven by external rewards (e.g. salary, grades).
- Intrinsic: Motivation driven by the joy of the activity itself (e.g. enjoying a hobby).

Goals should be specific, difficult but realistic to inspire effort and commitment and provide opportunistic feedback about progress.
Example of poor goal: "Do your best" is vague and lacks motivation.

Procrastination defined as delaying work often stems from fear of failure or overwhelm.
Techniques to Overcome Procrastination:
1. Break tasks into smaller, manageable steps.
2. Create detailed plans (what, when, where).
3. Measure your likelihood of completing the task to increase accountability (merely measurement effect).
4. Make other small decisions to get into an action-oriented mindset.
5. Avoid temptations by creating environments that hinder impulsivity (e.g. limit junk food settings).

Classified needs in terms of prioritization, e.g., physiological needs take precedence over safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization:
1. Physiological Needs: Basic survival—food, water.
2. Safety Needs: Security and stability.
3. Love and Belongingness: Relationships and social connections.
4. Esteem: Respect, recognition.
5. Self-Actualization: Realizing personal potential.
Criticism includes lack of universal applicability (cultural differences) and rigidity of levels.

Hunger Regulation: Affected by stomach distension (fullness) and hormones (ghrelin stimulates hunger).
Long-Term Mechanisms: Weight stability is influenced primarily by leptin, which signals energy storage.

Environmental aspects like dining with others, food marketing, and portion sizes significantly affect how and how much individuals eat.

Obesity: Defined by body mass index (BMI), excess body fat is linked to many health issues.
Factors contributing to obesity: Environmental influences, portion size, and hereditary factors.
Anorexia Nervosa: Characterized by intense fear of weight gain; individuals often deny their starvation state.
Bulimia Nervosa: Involves cycles of binge eating followed by purging behaviors.
Both disorders illustrate complex interactions of physiological, psychological, and social factors in eating habits.

Sexual motivation is influenced by physiological drives and social factors similar to hunger.

Alfred Kinsey conducted one of the first large-scale surveys of sexual behavior in the U.S. (18,000 participants) leading to insights into sexual practices and myths.

Prenatal influences of testosterone and other hormones lead to the development of male or female anatomy.
Variations of sexual orientation may also have roots in genetic and environmental factors, with possible epigenetic influences.

Gender identity forms based on the interplay of biological and environmental factors; intersex individuals face unique identity challenges that are often poorly understood medically.
Recommendations for sensitive approaches to treating intersex children have shifted towards a more patient-centered ethos.