AP Psychology Crash Course

Question 1

Define:

motivation

Answer 1

a need or desire that serves to energize or direct behavior

Question 2

What are needs or desires that energize behavior toward a goal?

Answer 2

motives

Question 3

To be considered a true instinct, or inherited behavior pattern characteristic of a species, what must it be?

Answer 3

stereotypical

An instinct must be performed automatically in the same way by all members of a species in response to a specific stimulus.

Question 4

What is the level of alertness, wakefulness, and activation caused by activity in the central nervous system?

Answer 4

arousal

Question 5

List four primary drives.

Answer 5

1. hunger
2. thirst
3. need to sleep
4. drive to reproduce

Question 6

The desire to obtain learned reinforcers, like money or social acceptance, is known as __________.

Answer 6

secondary reinforcers

Secondary reinforcers are also known as secondary drives.

Question 7

What are the four primary theories attempting to explain the link between neurophysiology and motivated behavior?

Answer 7

1. instinct theory
2. arousal theory
3. opponent-process theory
4. drive-reduction theory

Question 8

Which theory of motivation, supported by evolutionary psychology, contends that the learning of species-specific behavior motivates organisms to do whatever is necessary to ensure their survival?

Answer 8

instinct theory

Question 9

What does the arousal theory of motivation state?

Answer 9

The arousal theory of motivation states that there is an optimum level of arousal (or: alertness and activation) at which performance on a given task is optimal.

Question 10

What is the Yerkes-Dodson law, and on what theory of motivation is it based?

Answer 10

The Yerkes-Dodson law states that tasks of moderate difficulty elicit the highest level of performance. High levels of arousal for easy tasks and low levels of arousal for difficult tasks are preferred.

This law is based off of the arousal theory of motivation.

Question 11

The opponent-process theory of motivation, most relevant to the concept of __________, suggests that we are motivated to seek stimuli that make us feel emotion, after which an opposing motivational force brings us back in the direction of a baseline.

Answer 11

addiction

Question 12

Which theory of motivation posits that psychological needs put stress on the body and that we are motivated to reduce this negative experience?

Answer 12

drive-reduction theory

Question 13

In order for one’s “general style of dealing with others and the environment” to be considered their “personality,” what must it be?

Answer 13

enduring

Question 14

What are the four broad theories of personality?

Answer 14

1. psychoanalytic
2. humanistic
3. social-cognitive
4. trait theories

Question 15

Who is credited as being the “leader” of the psychoanalytic school of thought?

Answer 15

Sigmund Freud

Question 16

What is psychodynamic theory?

Answer 16

a psychological approach based on a marriage of Freudian concepts (i.e. the subconscious) with more modern ideas

Question 17

According to Freud, what two parts could the mind be divided into?

Answer 17

1. the conscious
2. the subconscious

Question 18

Freud referred to life energy as __________.

Answer 18

libido

Question 19

Although Freud contended that the subconscious plays a major role in behavior, its contents are not accessible. They become accessible through __________ or revealing the __________ of dreams.

Answer 19

freudian slips; latent content

Question 20

This level, just below the level of conscious awareness, contains thoughts, memories, feelings, and images that are easily recalled.

Answer 20

preconscious

Question 21

According to Freud, what two factors lie within the subconscious?

Answer 21

1. motivations
2. source of one’s problems

Question 22

What is free association?

Answer 22

the patient reports whatever comes to mind, while the therapist analyzes the responses and looks for themes that may reveal the subconscious