Week 3

Question 1

What is the neuroendocrine system and what organs are involved?

Answer 1

A collection of glands - they secrete hormones into the bloodstream. Hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, pancreas, ovary and testis

Question 2

What is the hypothalamus responsible for in the endocrine system?

Answer 2

Sends info to the pituitary gland. Control of sleep and arousal, emotions; anger, fear, sexual response and pain, automatic functions such as temperature, blood pressure, water balance.

Question 3

What does the pituitary gland do?

Answer 3

Size of a pea, stimulates and regulates other glands.

Question 4

What does the thyroid gland do?

Answer 4

Releases hormones that control growth, metabolism, energy and mood.

Question 5

What does the adrenal gland do?

Answer 5

Involved in metabolism; involved in fight or flight response

Question 6

What does the pancreas do?

Answer 6

Controls blood sugar levels.

Question 7

What is motivation and what are the five theories of motivation?

Answer 7

Motivation is a need or desire that energises behavior and directs it towards a goal. Psychodynamic, behaviorist, cognitive, humanistic, evolutionary

Question 8

What are the features of the psychodynamic theory of motivation?

Answer 8

Freud - emphasises the biological basis of motivation reflecting animal heritage; sex and aggression.

Question 9

What are the features of the behaviourist theory of motivation?

Answer 9

A physiological need creates an aroused tension state (a drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy the need. E.g. need for food -> hunger drive -> drive-reducing by eating.

Question 10

Which theory of motivation is governed by the environment?

Answer 10

Behaviourist; drives can be primary (innate) or secondary (learned).

Question 11

What is the difference between the humanistic theory and the cognitive theory of motivation?

Answer 11

Five levels - physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness and love needs, esteem needs, self-actualization needs.

Goal setting

Question 12

What are the features of the evolutionary theory of motivation?

Answer 12

Instincts - fixed patterns of behaviour produced without learning.

Question 13

Describe the process of the absorptive phase.

Answer 13

Ingestion of food
Glucose level rises
Hypothalamus (activates pancreas)
Pancreas (secretes insulin. Allows cells to metabolise glucose)
Liver (converts glucose to glycogen for storage. Insulin facilitates storage of glucose by liver)

Question 14

Describe the process of the fasting phase.

Answer 14

Glucose level falls
Hypothalamus (activates pancreas)
Pancreas (secretes glucagon)
Glucagon facilities breakdown of glycogen stored in liver
Liver (converts glycogen to glucose)

Question 15

How is hunger turned on and off.

Answer 15

On - Low levels of glucose - glucose detectors in the brain; drugs that suppress glucose increases hunger in well-fed humans. Glucose information transmitted to the hypothalamus.

Off - satiety signals come from stomach and intestines.

Question 16

Lateral hypothalamus vs ventromedial hypothalamus.

Answer 16

Lateral (hunger centre) - on switch

Ventromedial (satiety centre) - off switch

Question 17

Organisational effects vs activation effects.

Answer 17

Hormones have two effects on the nervous system and behaviour. Organisational effects; prenatal exposure to androgens alters the neural circuits in brain and spinal cord. Activation effects; alteration of adult levels of hormones can alter the intensity of a behaviour that is modulated by that hormone.

Question 18

Describe the features of achievement motivation.

Answer 18

Defined as a desire for significant accomplishment. Parents and teachers have an influence on the roots of motivation. Emotional roots; learning to associate achievement with positive emotions. Cognitive roots; learning to attribute achievements to one’s own competence, thus raising expectations of oneself.

Question 19

James-Lange Theory vs Cannon-Bard Theory.

Answer 19

James-Lange; physiological activity precedes the emotional experience (stimulus, arousal, emotion)

Cannon-Bard; emotion triggering stimulus and the body’s arousal take place simultaneously (stimulus; arousal and emotion)

Question 20

What are the two forms of emotional intensity?

Answer 20

Heightened (personality disorders) and dampened (alexithymic)

Question 21

What are the six universal emotions?

Answer 21

Sadness, anger, contempt, disgust, surprise, fear.

Question 22

What are the two emotion circuits?

Answer 22

Sensory info -> amygdala -> hippocampus; rapid response to stimuli previously associated with emotional reaction.

Sensory info -> cortex -> amygdala; more complex info processing, slower