motivation I Flashcards
(27 cards)
What is motivation?
An internal state that explains why we behave or learn to behave.
What are the three types of motivational constructs?
Motivational states, motivational desires, motivational drives.
What is the goal of the science of motivation?
To understand the causes of behaviour.
What did Skinner believe about studying motivation?
Studying internal states distracts from understanding the reinforcer’s effect on behaviour.
How did Thorndike view motivation?
Learning is motivated by internal states (Law of Readiness).
Who proposed drive reduction theory?
Clark Hull.
What is drive reduction theory?
A reinforcer supports learning by alleviating an internal state of deprivation.
What concept does drive reduction theory rely on?
Homeostasis—physiological systems seek equilibrium.
What causes arousal in drive theory?
Imbalance between the set-point and actual point in a physiological system.
What is homeostasis?
The body’s tendency to maintain internal balance across variables like temperature, hydration, and nutrients.
What is negative feedback?
A process that diminishes the action that produced an effect, helping restore balance.
What are the components of a homeostatic system?
System variable (e.g., hydration)
Set-point (ideal level)
Sensor (monitors level)
Effector system (restores balance)
What is the primary means of replenishing lost water?
Drinking behaviour.
How is body water distributed?
~⅔ inside cells (intracellular), ~⅓ outside (extracellular).
What is osmometric thirst?
Thirst caused by cellular dehydration due to increased extracellular salt concentration.
What triggers osmometric thirst?
Osmotic imbalance detected by osmoreceptors in the OVLT (Organum Vasculosum of the Lamina Terminalis).
What is hypovolemic thirst?
Thirst caused by low extracellular fluid volume, not necessarily salt imbalance.
Which organs detect hypovolemic thirst?
The kidneys and heart via blood pressure sensors.
What hormone system is activated during hypovolemia?
The renin-angiotensin system.
What does renin do in the body?
Converts angiotensinogen to angiotensin, which increases blood pressure and stimulates drinking.
Where does angiotensin act to promote drinking?
On receptors in the subfornical organ (SFO) of the brain.
What is the SFO’s role in motivation?
It’s a brain area that detects angiotensin and regulates thirst.
What are atrial baroreceptors?
Heart neurons that detect blood volume via stretch and send info to the brain.
Where is baroreceptor info sent in the brain?
Nucleus of the solitary tract and median preoptic area.
