Psychology Final Exam outline

Psychology Final Exam Notes

Motivation and Emotion

  • Motivation:

    • Definition: A psychological process that directs and maintains behaviors toward a goal, acting as a driving force within individuals.
    • Arises from arousal or tension due to unmet needs, prompting behavior to alleviate this tension.
    • Role of the Hypothalamus:
    • Regulates basic biological needs (hunger, thirst).
    • Categories of Motivation:
    • Conscious vs. Unconscious
    • High vs. Low Urgency
    • Intrinsic (for its own sake) vs. Extrinsic (for external rewards)

  • Emotion:

    • Definition: The subjective experience of psychological reactions to stimuli (e.g., anxiety, excitement).
    • Key Components:
    • Cognitive Appraisal
    • Physiological Arousal
    • Observable Behavioral Expressions
Types of Motives
  • Motives as needs, wants, interests, and desires can be:
    • Classified by:
    • Urgency: High vs. Low
    • Positivity: Positive vs. Negative
    • Nature: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic
  • Theoretical Motives:
    • Cannot be directly observed, making them complex to study.
Theories of Motivation
  • Drive Reduction Theory:
    • Individuals motivated to reduce internal tension from unmet needs, striving for psychological balance.
  • Incentive Theories:
    • Motivated by external stimuli (push/pull factors).
  • Arousal Theory:
    • Optimal arousal levels enhance performance (Yerkes-Dodson Law).
Primary Motivations

  • Need to Belong:

    • Fundamental human motivation leading to social connections, significant for emotional well-being.
    • Loneliness poses health risks comparable to smoking.

  • Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:

    • Hierarchical structure from physiological needs to self-actualization.
    • Focuses on personal growth once basic needs are met.
Love and Achievement Motivation

  • Theories of Love:

    • Distinction between passionate love and companionate love (Hatfield & Rapson).
    • Sternberg's Triangular Theory includes intimacy, passion, and commitment.

  • Achievement Motivation:

    • Drive to perform and accomplish goals influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
    • Approach vs. Avoidance goals: Focus on success vs. fear of failure.
Emotions
  • Definition: Complex reactions involving perceptions, energy, and physiological responses influenced by culture.
  • Components:
    • Emotional traits vs. states (consistency vs. situation dependence).
  • Autonomic Nervous System (ANS):
    • Sympathetic (stress response) vs. Parasympathetic (normalcy restoration).
Processing Fear
  • Fear processed through:
    • Low Road: Quick, automatic reactions (unconscious).
    • High Road: Deliberate, conscious processing.
Theories of Emotion
  • James-Lange Theory:
    • Physical responses precede emotional experiences (e.g., trembling leads to fear).
  • Cannon-Bard Theory:
    • Physiological arousal and emotional experience occur simultaneously.
  • Two-Factor Theory:
    • Emotional experiences arise from physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation.
Cultural Influences on Emotions
  • Display rules vary by culture
    • Define how and when emotions should be expressed.
  • Emotional Dialects:
    • Variations in expression across cultures (e.g., different gestures for contempt).
Health, Stress, and Coping
  • Health (WHO): Complete well-being, not the mere absence of disease.
  • Health Psychology:
    • Impact of behavior on health, focusing on lifestyle risks (obesity, smoking).
  • Biopsychosocial Model: Integrates biological, psychological, and social factors in health.
Mental Health Overview
  • Mental health defines emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
  • 1 in 5 Canadians experience mental illness annually.
Understanding Psychopathology
  • Study of mental disorders and maladaptive behaviors, defined through various models (statistical, distress, impairment).
Diagnosis and the DSM
  • DSM as a tool for identifying mental disorders based on symptoms and signs essential for treatment.
Prevalence and Impact of Mental Illness
  • Reports show significant public health concerns related to mental disorders (e.g., mood, anxiety, personality disorders).
  • Benefits and challenges of diagnostic labels:
    • Facilitate access vs. stigmatization and biases.
Personality Disorders
  • Defined by inflexible traits causing impairment in functioning.
  • DSM-5 Categories:
    • Cluster A (Odd), Cluster B (Dramatic), Cluster C (Anxious).
Schizophrenia Overview
  • Severe disorder affecting thinking and perceptions; symptoms include hallucinations and delusions.
  • Neurological Aspects reveal dopamine activity as a significant contributor.
Therapies
  • Various psychological interventions targeting emotional issues, including insight therapies, cognitive-behavioral therapies, and biomedical therapies.
  • Common Barriers: Include stigma, financial constraints, and cultural attitudes affecting therapy-seeking behavior.
Insight Therapies
  • Focus on self-awareness; includes psychodynamic and humanistic therapies.
  • Emphasizes the therapeutic relationship as critical for effectiveness.
Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
  • Behavioral Therapies target problem behaviors using desensitization, reinforcement, and conditioning.
  • Cognitive Therapies focus on changing thought patterns to improve emotional responses.
Conclusion
  • Understanding motivation, emotion, health, and therapy is crucial for addressing psychological well-being and promoting effective treatment strategies.