Chapter 8 - Motivation & Emotion Flashcards
(39 cards)
Motive
a need or desire
Motivation is..
an internal process that activates, guides, and maintains behavior over time
- Motivation is goal-directed
- Motivation varies in strength and duration
Drive Reduction theory **
Motivation originates from biological needs to maintain body in balance and equilibrium
Arousal theory **
Behaviors are motivated by need to achieve “optimum” levels of arousal
Incentive Theory **
Behaviors are motivated by intrinsic and/or extrinsic rewards
Heiarchy of Needs**
When different motives compete, basic survival needs must me met before we satisfy higher needs such as self-esteem and beloging
Instint Theory**
- People are motivated by their biological (innate) instincts
- Examples—newborn reflexes, maternal protection, social interaction
- Motivated by internal factors. Engage in a task because it gives you pleasure or develops a skill you value
- Examples—Wanting to learn, having fun
Motivated by intrinsics that are inborn & activated by environmental stimuli
Drive Reduction Theory **
- Belief that a physiological need creates an aroused state that drives (motivates) us to reduce that need.
- Restores balance— homeostasis
- Pushed by biological, inborn needs
- Hunger pains
- Pulled by incentives in environment
- Sight and smell of cookies
- Example—cooling off when we are hot
Arousal Theory**
- We are motivated to pursue an optimum level of stimulation (arousal)
- Some motivated behaviors increase arousal.
Yerkes-Dodson Law**
States that performance on task is best when the arousal level is optimal for that specific task
Extrinsic Motivation Theory **
Motivated by external factors that are not related to the task. Motivated to do a task as a means to an end (not as an end in itself)
- Examples—Grades, money, recognition
Children’s extrinsic motivation increases and intrinsic motivation decreases from 3rd to 9th grade
Incentive Theory & The Brain**
- What happens in the brain
- Liking leads to wanting
- Liking produces opiates
- Liking also produces dopamine, which increases the likelihood of wanting to repeat a pleasurable experience in the future
- Brain regions associated with dopamine release are activated during a pleasurable experience and direct future behavior
- Dopamine pathway: ventral tegmental area nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex
Reasons people have sex**
- Biological—survival
- Psychological—sex is pleasurable and rewarding
Social/cultural factors (sex)**
- Sexual norms and taboos differ
- Age of consent, number of partners, specific practices
- Incest taboos are universal
- Evolutionary
Stages of Sex**
- Desire Phase (not in book)— desire to have sex
- Excitement Phase—heart rate rises, blood is pumped to the genitals.
- Plateau Phase—blood pressure, muscle tension increase more, breathing heavy and rapid..
- Orgasm Phase—sudden release of sexual tension, and involuntary muscle contractions.
- Resolution Phase—body returns to its normal state.
Males and Sex**
- Aroused quickly by visual stimuli
- Self-report frequent fantasies
- Higher sex drive
Sex and Females **
- Respond to physical contact and verbal expression
- Self-report fewer fantasies
- Sex in the context of love
- Women report waiting longer to have sex in a relationship and abstaining from sex between relationships
Evolutionary Theory: Gender Differences**
Evolutionary theory states that gender differences in sexuality have evolved to maximize the odds of survival.
- Men desire mates that increase the odds of reproductive success.
- Women desire mates who are able to provide and protect children.
Buss & colleagues (1994)
Study of over 10,000 people in 37 cultures, across 6 continents
- Women place higher priority on good financial prospects
- Men place higher priority on youth & physical attractiveness
- Availability of reproductive material
- Parental investment
- Selectivity, Quantity, Initiation
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs**
- First level- Physiological
Needs relating to physical survival (food, water, sex) - Second level- Safety
The need to feel safe and secure - Third level- Love and belonging
The need to have close relationships with others and be accepted as a group (social affiliation) - Forth level- Esteem
The need to feel good about oneself - Fifth level- Self-actualization
The need to become all that one is capable of becoming (reaching your full potential, “being all you can be”)
Affiliations**
Need to be part of a group
Positive aspects of affiliations**
- From birth we seek connections to others
- Relationships increase self-esteem
- People with social connections experience less depression
- People in healthy relationships live longer
Negative consequences of affiliations
**
- People stay in abusive relationships and join gangs in effort to belong
- Social exclusion activates the same region of the brain as physical pain (anterior cingulate cortex)
- Long-term isolation can lead to permanent psychological damage
intrinsically motivated**
to learn new things or extrinsically motivated by incentives